Officials Set Hailey Meeting on Wolf Management Plan

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Blaine County commissioners and local elected officials will host a joint public meeting in Hailey to discuss and take comments on the draft Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan. The open house meeting will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, December 17, at the Hailey Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Road, Hailey. At 5:30 p.m., Fish and Game biologists will give a brief summary of the draft Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan. This document will guide wolf management in Idaho following the removal of wolves from the endangered species list. After a question and answer period, meeting participants will be able to talk with staff and provide written comments. At 7 p.m., local elected officials will preside over the rest of the meeting to hear the public's views on wolf management in Idaho. Fish and Game is seeking public review and comment on several pertinent issues related to future management of wolves in Idaho including: harvest strategies to manage wolf populations, protocol for responding to livestock depredations, and thresholds for impacts on big game populations. The plan also proposes management goals to provide areas where public viewing opportunities will be a priority. The draft Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan is available on the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/surveys/draftwolf/, or at any Fish and Game office. Written comments on the plans can be submitted at the scheduled open house, online at Fish and Game's Website, or by mail to Idaho Fish and Game, P.O. Box 25, Boise ID 83707. The deadline for submitting comments on Idaho's draft Wolf Management Plan is December 31. For more information on the upcoming meetings call 208-324-4359. Individuals with disabilities may request meeting accommodations by calling 208-324-4359 or through the Idaho Relay Service at 1-800-377- 3529(TDD).