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House committee advances bill on wolf classification despite strong opposition from conservation groups
Summary
House Bill 554, proposing a statutory change for wolves’ classification, drew intense public opposition from conservation organizations and wildlife advocates. FWP warned the bill would remove commission discretion; the committee ultimately moved the bill to the floor.
House Bill 554, a contentious measure concerning statutory classification of wolves, drew extensive public testimony and was advanced by the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee to the House floor.
Opponents and concerns: A broad coalition of conservation and wildlife groups — including Wolves of the Rockies, Defenders of Wildlife, Trap Free Montana and others — urged committee members to oppose HB 554. Speakers argued the bill would further erode protections for wolves, could enable unregulated lethal take, and risk legal challenges and reputational harm to Montana. Mark Cook of Wolves of the Rockies said HB 554 “will infringe on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a department and certainly the FWP commission authority as a whole.”
Agency position and statutory context: Quentin Kujala (listed in testimony as Chief of Conservation Policy for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) provided informational testimony explaining the statutory history. He said wolves are currently designated as a "species in need of management" under Montana code and that prior language left reclassification discretion to the FWP Commission; HB 554, as drafted, would remove the commission’s discretion and effect statutory change from the Legislature. Kujala said the department had earlier pursued legislative options to align classification with commission action but warned that HB 554 would alter the legal path the department and commission currently follow.
Committee action: After extensive testimony and questioning, the committee voted to advance HB 554 to the House floor. The transcript records the committee’s vote to advance the bill; the hearing included dozens of commenters on both sides of the issue.
What advocates said next: Opponents warned that reclassification could lead to relisting or litigation if protections are weakened and urged the committee to delay action until FWP’s forthcoming wolf-management plan and additional science are fully considered.
Next steps: The bill will appear on the House floor calendar for further debate.
