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Montana committee hears hours of testimony on bill seen as gateway to reclassifying wolves
Summary
Lawmakers heard more than an hour of public testimony and expert comment on House Bill 554, a measure opponents say would remove science‑based guardrails for wolf management and could open the door to year‑round killing; proponents argued the bill clarifies statutory classifications.
Lawmakers on the Senate Fish and Game Committee spent a lengthy hearing examining House Bill 554, which would change how wolves are classified under state law.
Representative Brandon Lear, sponsor of HB 554, told the committee the bill would adjust statute language on wolf classifications. ‘‘This is a logical extension that then you would make sure that that can't happen,’’ said Sarah Clerget of the Outdoor Heritage Coalition in support of the bill, framing it as a clarification of existing code language.
Opponents mounted a coordinated…
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