White Fang
A while ago I happened to participate in a public comment hearing regarding the delisting of the Gray Wolf (a.k.a. Timber Wolf) from the endangered species list. I happened to, for some unknown reason, google my wife, who also attended, when I came across the transcript of this event.
I was originally not going to attend this function, but was convinced by scrubbedpotato that it would be a good idea to get as many pro-wolf voices in as possible. So after listening to the presentation, I was compelled to ask some questions regarding methods and statistics. The answers gave me the fodder to make my own half assed statements.
Waiver:
This transcript was taken by a stenographer, and those who know me, know that I can start talking pretty fast when I’m up on my soap-box, so there is breaks in my speech and missing elements. I haven’t changed anything in this record though, for reason of legitimacy.
peg2
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO DELIST THE GRAY WOLF EASTERN DISTINCT POPULATION SEGMENT
Date: August 31, 2004
Time: 7:43 p.m.
Place: Bemidji State University
Beaux Arts Ballroom - Hobson Memorial Union
Bemidji, Minnesota
Reporter: Nancy M. Utke, Notary Public
Registered Professional Reporter
*****
APPEARANCES:
MR. CHUCK TRAXLER, Hearing Officer.
MR. DAN STINNET, Twin Cities Field Office Supervisor.
MR. RON REFSNIDER, Listing Coordinator in the Twin Cities Regional Office.
*****
And I would like to invite Speaker Number 18 to step to the microphone.
MR. ROBERT CHASTAIN: If I'm too fast or too loud, okay? Here we go.
My name is Robert Chastain. I'm a resident of Minnesota.
R-O-B-E-R-T C-H-A-S-T-A-I-N.
First, get it on the table, I think I'm adamantly against the delisting of the gray wolf population from the endangered species list and for a number of reasons, which I would like to kind of explain.
I think we're right now at a crossroads. This is typical of American policy decisions. We're dealing with precautionary policy versus reactionary policy. We have taken a precautionary policy in the last however many years the wolves has been listed as an endangered species, but what we are about to enter is a situation where instead of guaranteeing that the wolf will maintain its numbers, will maintain a thriving community in Minnesota if it gets threatened, then we can throw it back on the list.
I'm a little disturbed about the fact that there isn't a constant and like my question from before dealing with Wisconsin, they have an annual number count, an annual population count, so that we would be able to -- I think we need that before we can even consider delisting. We need to think about how can we implement an annual number count so that during this process and moderate we are on top of it at every moment. I also think that we need to ensure that that monitoring is during the period of protection instead of after.
And that's where I get into this precautionary versus reactionary. If we are conscious before we delist and guarantee that the wolf is not threatened, then we can make sure it's delisted.
There's a couple of other things. I'm a little apprehensive of some of the comments by certain individuals in this room in dealing with personal gain. I think that it -- you need to take into account the context of where those comments are coming from. If someone is gaining profit from the delisting, I don't -- that's just my own personal opinion, but I would also like to address this myth that's kind of been carried over on the boats from Europe that wolves are this great potential threat to livestock and farming and agricultural.
This is carried -- I mean we can all go into the history of this, but I would venture to say that hunting mishaps and domestic pets, including cats and dogs, are far, far more greater of a threat to livestock in this state than the wolf population can ever be and we need to consider that when making these decisions. I've yet to see any stats, any particular numbers, saying okay. What have been the livestock kills by wolf populations and what is in comparison to an accident by, say, a cow getting caught in a fence or a domestic dog attacking a chicken or those kind of dangers. What are the comparisons?
We can't just say -- operate out of fear and say, "Look, it's a predator." We got to remember that we are predators, too, and just because we are predators we don't need to compete with the wolf. We can live in harmony with the wolf as well as other predators such as eagles and falcons and the sort.
I would like to also reiterate the comment that was made earlier about the deer population, and the wolves are the natural predator of the deer population as well as some of the other larger non-predacious mammals in this area. And if we're having such an issue with those, maybe we need to reconsider that we are not the only predator out there.
With that, I would like to thank you and I hope you guys make a good decision. Thank you.
THE HEARING OFFICER: Thank you for your comments, sir.
I would like to invite Speaker Number 19 come up to the microphone.
*****
I was originally not going to attend this function, but was convinced by scrubbedpotato that it would be a good idea to get as many pro-wolf voices in as possible. So after listening to the presentation, I was compelled to ask some questions regarding methods and statistics. The answers gave me the fodder to make my own half assed statements.
Waiver:
This transcript was taken by a stenographer, and those who know me, know that I can start talking pretty fast when I’m up on my soap-box, so there is breaks in my speech and missing elements. I haven’t changed anything in this record though, for reason of legitimacy.
peg2
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO DELIST THE GRAY WOLF EASTERN DISTINCT POPULATION SEGMENT
Date: August 31, 2004
Time: 7:43 p.m.
Place: Bemidji State University
Beaux Arts Ballroom - Hobson Memorial Union
Bemidji, Minnesota
Reporter: Nancy M. Utke, Notary Public
Registered Professional Reporter
*****
APPEARANCES:
MR. CHUCK TRAXLER, Hearing Officer.
MR. DAN STINNET, Twin Cities Field Office Supervisor.
MR. RON REFSNIDER, Listing Coordinator in the Twin Cities Regional Office.
*****
And I would like to invite Speaker Number 18 to step to the microphone.
MR. ROBERT CHASTAIN: If I'm too fast or too loud, okay? Here we go.
My name is Robert Chastain. I'm a resident of Minnesota.
R-O-B-E-R-T C-H-A-S-T-A-I-N.
First, get it on the table, I think I'm adamantly against the delisting of the gray wolf population from the endangered species list and for a number of reasons, which I would like to kind of explain.
I think we're right now at a crossroads. This is typical of American policy decisions. We're dealing with precautionary policy versus reactionary policy. We have taken a precautionary policy in the last however many years the wolves has been listed as an endangered species, but what we are about to enter is a situation where instead of guaranteeing that the wolf will maintain its numbers, will maintain a thriving community in Minnesota if it gets threatened, then we can throw it back on the list.
I'm a little disturbed about the fact that there isn't a constant and like my question from before dealing with Wisconsin, they have an annual number count, an annual population count, so that we would be able to -- I think we need that before we can even consider delisting. We need to think about how can we implement an annual number count so that during this process and moderate we are on top of it at every moment. I also think that we need to ensure that that monitoring is during the period of protection instead of after.
And that's where I get into this precautionary versus reactionary. If we are conscious before we delist and guarantee that the wolf is not threatened, then we can make sure it's delisted.
There's a couple of other things. I'm a little apprehensive of some of the comments by certain individuals in this room in dealing with personal gain. I think that it -- you need to take into account the context of where those comments are coming from. If someone is gaining profit from the delisting, I don't -- that's just my own personal opinion, but I would also like to address this myth that's kind of been carried over on the boats from Europe that wolves are this great potential threat to livestock and farming and agricultural.
This is carried -- I mean we can all go into the history of this, but I would venture to say that hunting mishaps and domestic pets, including cats and dogs, are far, far more greater of a threat to livestock in this state than the wolf population can ever be and we need to consider that when making these decisions. I've yet to see any stats, any particular numbers, saying okay. What have been the livestock kills by wolf populations and what is in comparison to an accident by, say, a cow getting caught in a fence or a domestic dog attacking a chicken or those kind of dangers. What are the comparisons?
We can't just say -- operate out of fear and say, "Look, it's a predator." We got to remember that we are predators, too, and just because we are predators we don't need to compete with the wolf. We can live in harmony with the wolf as well as other predators such as eagles and falcons and the sort.
I would like to also reiterate the comment that was made earlier about the deer population, and the wolves are the natural predator of the deer population as well as some of the other larger non-predacious mammals in this area. And if we're having such an issue with those, maybe we need to reconsider that we are not the only predator out there.
With that, I would like to thank you and I hope you guys make a good decision. Thank you.
THE HEARING OFFICER: Thank you for your comments, sir.
I would like to invite Speaker Number 19 come up to the microphone.
*****