Howling for Wolves

Today, legislation was introduced into the Minnesota House of Representatives to reinstate a five-year moratorium on recreational wolf hunting and trapping. Chief house author, Rep. Jason Isaacson (DFL - Shoreview) introduced H.F. 1163, the companion bill for S.F. 666 introduced by Sen. Chris Eaton. The bill calls for a five-year wait before another wolf hunting season can be proposed, and only for population management purposes after other options are explored. Read the press release here.

Mark your calendars! A Senate hearing of the bill has been scheduled on Tuesday, March 12 at noon before the Environment and Energy committee. Let’s fill the hearing room and the halls for the wolf. It was your efforts making calls and sending emails to committee members that pushed us forward.

Now we need your help to secure a hearing in the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy committee. A bill must be heard and passed out of one committee before March 15, 2013 to stay alive. Please call the committee members listed below to voice your support for H.F. 1163 and request the bill be heard and passed through committee.

House Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee

Rep. David Dill (Chair) 651-296-2190

Rep. Peter Fischer (Vice Chair) 651-296-5363

Rep. Tom Hackbarth 651-296-2439

Rep. John Benson 651-296-9934

Rep. Tony Cornish 651-296-4240

Rep. Dan Fabian 651-296-9635

Rep. Andrew Falk 651-296-4228

Rep. Steve Green 651-296-9918

Rep. Rick Hansen 651-296-6828

Rep. Clark Johnson 651-296-8634

Rep. Denny McNamara 651-296-3135

Rep. John Persell 651-296-5516

Rep. Mark Uglem 651-296-5513

Rep. Jean Wagenius 651-296-4200

Rep. JoAnn Ward 651-296-7807

Rep. Barb Yarusso 651-296-0141

Please know that to work a bill into law requires many repeated actions to push it through. We will have several urgent requests for actions over the next few weeks to keep each bill moving forward to a final floor vote. In the meantime, mark your calendars for the Senate hearing on Tuesday, March 12 at 12 pm. Please email us at respond@howlingforwolves.org if you are able to attend. We want a strong showing of support at this hearing.