Our friend Toni Stark reached out to newly elected Montana Congressman Steve Daines asking him to make an effort to stop the USFW Service from delisting Wolves across the USA...............Congressman Daines does as all Politicians do in his response to Toni's plea--HE DOES NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION DIRECTLY................Instead, he cites chapter and verse Republican talking points regarding the history of Wolves in his state.............. He then thanks Toni for contacting him and assuring her that while their views diverge on DELISTING, he will keep her outlook in mind(as he votes to put Wolves in the crosshairs of hunters and trappers at every turn in the road)

From: Toni Stark 

To: Rick Meril

Subject: Fwd: A Message from Congressman Steve Daines

Mr. Daines is our newly elected member of the US House from Montana and I am really disappointed in his position regarding protection of our wolves.

Toni Stark

Dear Ms. Stark: Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to delisting the  Northern Rocky Mountain (NRM) gray wolf under the Endangered Species  Act (ESA). I appreciate hearing your views and welcome the opportunity  to respond. As a fifth generation Montanan and avid sportsman,  I know our state's rich  and diverse wildlife are an essential part of our way of life. As you know,  under the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plays an  important role to ensure species and their critical habitats are maintained  at a healthy level of population throughout our country.  In recent years,  the population of the NRM gray wolf was under close observation by the  FWS. From 2003 to 2009 USFWS twice attempted to delist all or part  of its population after it concluded that its recovery target had been exceeded. These rules, however, were overturned  by various U.S. District Courts. Congress subsequently passed legislation to  supersede the court rulings and delist the gray wolf in Montana, Idaho,  eastern Washington,  eastern Oregon, and north-central Utah. The bill  precluded additional  judicial review. This action was very significant for  many sportsmen , livestock producers, and other property owners  in Montana who were  impacted by the gray wolf listing. I support the delisting because it was scientifically justified and important for the health a nd safety of our  communities. As a member of the House Committee on Natural  Resources, which  has jurisdiction over the ESA, I will work to protect  Montana's rich  population of wildlife and the property rights and  safety of land users.  Though we may disagree on the delisting of the  gray wolf, please know  I will keep your views in mind as we continue to  discuss how best to  protect species. Again, thanks for contacting me. It is my number one priority in  Congress to represent the values and interests  of the people of  Montana, and your input is very helpful as I do.  I invite you to visit my website, daines.house.gov, to sign up for  periodic email updates  on the issues important to you.  I won't flood your email box, but I  will provide you with updates once in a while  about activities in  Washington that affect our lives in Montana.  I hope you will sign  up so that we can stay in close touch, and I  look forward to hearing  from you again in the future.  Sincerely, Steve Daines Member of Congress SD/dh