How We Got Here

The 2021 MWFP commissioners quota changes to WMU's 313 and 316 have set up the possibility that just a handful of actors could impact the viability of the "Yellowstone" wolf population and irreparably impact the local economy. In economic parlance, the customers travelling to Montana and spending their money here are "externalities". They bring their money to Montana, thereby contributing a higher profit margin than local economic sectors that export goods. Equally important to understand, it was totally unnecessary for the commission, many of whom are not from our area, to impose their region's high quota on our local economy. As you can see from this map, Region 3 wolf management unit is a vast section of southwest Montana. WMU's 313 and 316 represent less than 4% of that region and mostly consist of national forest, not private land, that must support multiple use. To drill down further, as of January 23, 2022, 17 wolves were taken in WMU 313. That is roughly 10% of the statewide harvest. But WMU 313 is only 0.17% of the state's total area. One wolf is 0.20% of the targeted population reduction of 450 wolves statewide. So, using basic math, if the state's objective of wolf reduction were to be met proportionately to the state's area, then only one wolf would be allowed in WMU 313. But this isn't just about basic math. Nor, is it about our business coalition. While we would welcome a seat at the policy table, we believe that scientific professionals at both the state and federal levels should be the ones telling us what it takes to manage for sustainable wildlife populations. If it had a negative impact to our businesses, then so be it. But we ask that our business voices be listened to within the broader stakeholder groups.

 

The prior limited quotas in Montana's northern boundary to Yellowstone Park protected wolves with summer territories within the park's boundaries but who leave each winter following prey (e.g. elk and bison). Enabling so many wolves to be killed adjacent to Yellowstone is a direct threat to the primary economy of our area. Whether you like them or not, wolves are a local economic mainstay. They are the stated primary interest of the majority of our recreational visitors to the North and Northeast entrances of Yellowstone. As many of our business owners know, trout and wolves are critical components of our supply chain. But it's not about two species. It's about protecting a dynamic, diverse, healthy ecosystem...which takes hard work and willingness to sacrifice, compromise and engage. The results can be a place full of wildlife, interacting and surviving in ways that only others can wish for. After all, we doubt that a National Park full of just grazing bison would be chosen by visitors over a dynamic, sustainable, ever-changing National Park populated by diverse wildlife and plants.

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In 2021, there were 1,251,912 visitors to the northern entrances. The citizens and businesses of Livingston, Paradise Valley, Gardiner and Cooke City are service those visitors and generate tens of millions of dollars to their local economy (see multiple research reports by economists below). Although there are many reasons to visit Yellowstone, the top-ranked reason that visitors come to the northern gateways of Yellowstone is to see wildlife in the Northern Range of Yellowstone. These visitors indicate that they are here primarily to see wolves and they have spent approximately $80 million in the first 10 months of 2021 (based on calculation of wolf-dependent spending by visitors in 2005 by Duffield et. al, 2008, adjusted for inflation and the percent increase in visitors). Everything from retail to guiding services are dependent upon these consumers. For more information, see this report and here. Conversely, wolf hunting licenses cost between $10 and $50 per wolf.

 

Hunting, Agriculture and Tourism

Tourism, hunting and agriculture had a mostly equal standing in our area in the 1870's when Yellowstone was established. Even back then, many locals were involved in all three economies and are still today. 

 

There is often a misnomer in the press and social media purporting that ranchers and hunters oppose wolves, and tourists and liberal Californians moving here are for wolves. It is much more complicated than that. A simple example is that local ranchers in most of Park County have learned to live with higher wolf quotas where they operate, but allow for low quotas next to Yellowstone. Now, because of the FWP, they face federal re-listing of wolves which will result in wolf expansion in to their area. That said, livestock losses due to predators are quantified in Montana and can be studied to inform the debate. In 2019, Montana Livestock Loss Board reimbursed $82,450 for confirmed and suspected livestock depredation by wolves statewide. In Park County where WMU's 313 and 316 are only a small fraction of, $18,000 in livestock losses occurred in 2021 across the entire county. We fully support compensation for wolf predation. We acknowledge that there are costs and challenges to living with wolves here. We support ongoing solutions to address the fact that the price of local agricultural goods do not reflect the additional costs they must bear in order to operate here. We support discussions around higher compensation for predation events that cover the costs beyond the value of the materials. Many of our business members are also agricultural producers. Nonetheless, the actual commerce data shows that the economic value of co-existing with wolves in our local region of Montana is significantly greater than the agricultural economy (roughly 8:1 in terms of revenue produced just when comparing lodging receipts to agricultural receipts). Both types of businesses -- recreational tourism in all of its forms (including hunting and fishing) and agricultural -- deserve policy recognition in the context of wolves.