Two weeks after the Outdoor Heritage Coalition and two Republican lawmakers sued the state for doing too little to reduce Montana’s wolf population, a coalition of conservation groups on Wednesday made the opposite argument before a different judge.

The lawsuits reflect an ongoing tug-of-war between state lawmakers intent on reducing the predator’s presence in Montana and wildlife advocates who argue that the legislative and executive branches are driving Montana’s wolf population down to unsustainable levels.

Although the opposing lawsuits forward dramatically different visions for a “sustainable” wolf population, both fault Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the seven-member, governor-appointed Fish and Wildlife Commission for using unscientific management methods. In August, the com

See Full Page