June 14, 2013
RMEF Donation to Assist Montana Wolf Management
MISSOULA, Mont.—Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) accepted a $25,000 donation from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation this week to assist with its state wolf management efforts.
The focus of the funding is to expand FWP’s wolf collaring program in areas where the impact on elk, deer and other ungulates is particularly severe. Placing more collars on wolves will allow FWP to better expand the science of wolves by furthering the understanding of their territory, home range, the number of wolves in a pack, and helping to implement Montana’s approved wolf management plan.
“This is a part of a continuing commitment by RMEF to support the ultimate goal of state management, which is to sustain all species on balance with the available habitat and local communities where people live,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.
“Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks appreciates the partnership it has with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation,” said department director Jeff Hagener. “This donation is another example of RMEF's long-time commitment to wildlife conservation in Montana.”
In keeping with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, RMEF supports state-regulated hunting and trapping as the preferred tools of wolf management. RMEF staunchly supports management to balance and control wolf populations.
“The more collars we can get on wolves, the better understanding we’ll have on how many wolves are really out there, where they go on the landscape, and help to ensure the future of elk and all wildlife,” added Allen.
RMEF also remains committed to learning more about wolves through research efforts. Since 1989, RMEF invested more than $400,000 in research grants to advance scientific understanding of wolves, wolf interactions with other species, and overall wolf management. The total includes more than $200,000 in science grants in just the past five years, more than any other five-year period in RMEF history. Most of the contributions paid for independent research by leading universities, state and federal wildlife conservation agencies and tribes.
Earlier this month, RMEF furthered its commitment to elk and elk country in Montana by announcing grants that total $276,195 that will fund more than 20 habitat projects that will positively affect more than 20,000 acres of habitat in 15 different counties.