Protecting the Beasts

Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.) says he is not holding up action on a bill to reauthorize the federal Endangered Species Act because of stock-grower opposition to reintroduction of the wolf into Yellowstone National Park, as was reported on this page recently. Simpson’s office said he held up the bill in past years over the issue of sport hunting of wolves and grizzly bears, but is willing to have the proposal come to a Senate vote this year.

What Simpson will seek to do is to amend the proposal of Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-Maine) but declines to say in advance just what his amendment will say. Simpson said he does not want to allow environmental groups to prepare organized opposition to his amendment before he has a chance to introduce it after the main bill comes up for action. Generally, Simpson wants to overturn a federal court ruling that restricts sport hunting or trapping of threatened or endangered species.

Federal law now permits specific action against individual animals that are suspected of preying on livestock. Most state fish and game officials in the Rocky Mountain region favor open hunting season on large predators such as grizzlies and wolves. This primarily would affect animals that normally inhabit national parks, where hunting is not permitted, but that roam outside the park boundaries from time to time.

If individual bears or wolves are found to be taking sheep or cattle, they should be killed or, preferably, trapped and transplanted by park or game agency experts, and the rancher reimbursed for any loss. But the idea of sport hunting of endangered species makes a mockery of the Endangered Species Act and should not be allowed until it is clear that the survival of the species in question is assured.