Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Heated testimony as Montana committee considers allowing thermal and infrared scopes for wolf management
Summary
Rep. Paul Fielder told the committee HB259 would clarify 2021 law to include infrared and thermal scopes as night-vision methods for wolf management on private land; opponents argued it erodes commission discretion, violates fair-chase ethics and risks wolf population impacts, while FWP warned a court ruling limits prior interpretations.
Representative Paul Fielder opened the hearing on House Bill 259 by saying the measure is a statutory cleanup of 2021 legislation and "just adds the language ... infrared scopes, or thermal imagery scopes" to clarify methods allowed for hunting or management of gray wolves on private land.
Supporters — including conservation and hunting groups — framed the bill as a clarification that restores tools the department and landowners intended to use for population management. Chris Killorn of the Outdoor Heritage Coalition and others urged the committee to pass what they called a narrowly targeted fix to an earlier judicial interpretation.
Opponents, including tribal representatives, environmental groups and multiple conservation…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
