This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
To assert that the Utah Legislature can do a good job managing a wolf population isn't just a joke, it's a lie.
Our state government has, to date, endowed Don Peay with a total $600,000 to keep wolves out of Utah ("Legislators steering another $300,000 to anti-wolf crusade," Tribune, March 7). Peay, founder of Big Game Forever, and his cronies promote big game hunting as a business — using taxpayers' money to eliminate competition.
Big Game Forever is spending big bucks lobbying against a natural predator and in favor of guns. Thanks to the Legislature, Utahns are funding this group of windbags.
It looks like they are winning, as a decision to remove the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act appears imminent. It is outrageous to allow the slaughter of America's only pack-predator species, which is what delisting will accomplish.
We rely on government to "manage" our wildlife, to keep populations healthy and in balance. The gray wolf has only recently recovered from near extinction. Caving in to a special-interest lobby clamoring to remove the wolf from protection is yet another example of government failing to protect the public interest.
Billie Gay Larson
South Jordan