Montana committee hears testimony on bill to reclassify wolves as furbearers

Representative Jamie I S A L Y introduced House Bill 101 as an agency bill from Fish, Wildlife and Parks to revise Montana statutes governing gray wolves and other furbearers, calling it a ‘‘cleanup’’ to make harvest rules and enforcement more consistent. Quentin Kujala, FWP’s chief of conservation policy, testified the department supports the bill and summarized key changes: mandatory tagging requirements, maintaining nonresident trapping opportunities, barring fur farms from possessing wolves, prohibiting motorized or town hunting for fur bearers, and preserving hunting and trapping tools for landowners when public safety or livestock risk is present.

Proponents included conservation and wildlife‑tourism advocates as well as hunting and trapping groups. Supporters told the committee the bill would help game wardens prosecute poaching, eliminate inconsistencies that have developed since wolves were delisted, and bring wolf rules into line with other fur‑bearing species. Several business owners and wildlife‑watching guides said clearer, consistent rules would aid enforcement and improve FWP’s ability to manage the species.

Opponents — including livestock, ranching and some conservation groups — urged caution. Witnesses said wolves are biologically and socially distinct from traditional furbearers and argued management needs to reflect wolf‑specific behavior and risks. They raised concerns the bill could limit the commission’s flexibility and said some provisions (for example, road‑setback rules and trap/pan‑tension standards) may conflict with existing wolf‑specific regulations. Tribal representatives also urged protection of cultural values and consultation where management changes intersect tribal interests.

Committee members pressed FWP staff about practical effects: whether existing trapper education would cover wolf certification, how road‑setback rules would apply to Forest Service roads and plowed roads, and whether the commission could retain unique wolf exceptions under a new classification. Kujala said FWP expects wolf‑specific certification requirements to remain in trapper education, and that commission discretion could preserve larger setbacks or carve‑outs for wolves where biologically justified.

The hearing closed without a committee vote. Members heard written and oral testimony from dozens of stakeholders; the committee left a record open for additional written comments.