Added 4-26. Federal wolf official taking top role in Wyoming. By Matt Joyce. Associated Press Writer
Mike Jimenez, who managed wolves in Wyoming for many years for the federal government under Ed Bangs in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has taken over the role of wolf coordinator for the state of Wyoming, it was announced today. He will oversee the state’s management of about 170* wolves in Wyoming that do no live in Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park.
While in his job for the feds, Park County tried to prosecute Jimenez for “littering” — “littering the county with wolves.” It actually went to federal court.
Wolf coordinators for the other states are Carolyn Sime in Montana and Steve Nadeau (pronounced like meadow) in Idaho.
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*188 wolves was the figure at the end of 2007. Since then at least ten, and probably more have been killed in Wyoming’s “wolves-are-now-vermin” zone, plus unreported illegal and “control” killings in the trophy game zone.
Comments
No wonder he switched his tone on wolves
My considered opinion is that he was hired because of his long standing good relationship with ranchers and his close contacts with FWS and WS. The tone that was set with Wyoming wolf management on 28 March has now been set in concrete, as it were. This tells you exactly where the heart of the Wyoming G&F Department is on wolves–as if you needed any more proof of that anyway.
My best wishes to Earthjustice as it readies to file against delisting Monday.
In reference to the lawsuit, I’d be interested to hear anyone’s take on why it’s being filed in Missoula rather than Boise. In other words, why Molloy and not Winmill?
There is no guarantee either Molloy, or Winmill would get this case, but certainly they don’t want to file in Wyoming with their hostile federal judges and then the 10th Circuit for an appeal.
Doug I have posted a response to your question about the decision to file the lawsuit in Montana under the “lawsuit” thread.
I find it interesting that Jimenez was sued by WY and private landowner Livingston in 2006 for Jimenez’s supposed trespassing on private land which lead to a huge commentary on the supremcy clause by the 10th circuit.
Actually Wes Livingston was the helicopter pilot.
The state of Wyoming lost in the federal district court in the charge of criminal trespass, Wyoming v. Jimenez. They appealed to the 10th circuit and lost. They tried to get to the Supreme Court and they were denied a writ of certiorari.
I found this on the web regarding certiorari in Wyoming v. Jimenez.
This was a personal lawsuit of the state against Jimenez and Livingston. If that happened to me, I would not forget. Jimenez must have been offered a lot or have a very thick skin to go to work for the bastards.
I know, very interesting… how the tables turn for some reason. must be money.
As I look back at wolf caselaw, (not that there is a lot) it is all Wyoming… Wyoming has fought this reintroduction since the start. I have come to the opinion, that it is not safe for the wolf to be here. Maybe Utah, Colorado or Oregon would be safer and more accepting. (If we could transport WY and ID wolves to Utah right now via sonic jet…) The landscape is not so filled with spoiled ranchers. or should I say not so culturally entrenched with welfare ranching. There is talk of reintroduction of the gray wolf in the Appalachia because of deer problems – although that has probably been talked about for a long time now..
Why is everyone so down on Jimenez? Does it dawn on anyone that first of all, Jimenez (likely) actually needs a job, second of all, it isn’t about the money, but maybe about continuing on with something he is good at, and maybe wants to ensure that the state has someone knowledgeable running the wolf program? As opposed to putting a state person in there who doesn’t like wolves and has no stake in their success. As far as I can see, this guy has done a great job in Wyoming. Do any of you actually know him on a personal level? I have seen him speak many times and while he is often quite matter of fact about wolves, I think he is, and has been, quite realistic about wolves in Wyoming. People can say what they want about how many wolves have been killing in Wyoming for livestock depredations and it is his fault, but wolves have been very successful in the state, and I would venture to say it has largely been his doing.
Gary,
While I wouldn’t go so far as to give credit to Jimenez for wolves successes in Wyoming I do agree with you that it is inappropriate to bash him for taking the job–he is clearly the most qualified person, and as far as I know, there aren’t a whole lot of wolf management jobs out there.
I met and spoke briefly with Mike a couple of times at the NA Wolf Conference a few years back (before the agencies quit coming). I found him to be thoughtful, deliberate, and truly interested in wolves. That said, he was arguing even a few years ago, that wolves had already occupied all of the areas where they weren’t going to get into ‘trouble’.
Individual financial needs aside, Jimenez, by taking a job with the State of Wyoming as Wolf Coordinator, is signing on to the State’s dual status law and management plan that he, of all people, should know violates the ESA and the 1994 Final Rule for Reintroduction. Also he, better than anyone else from the FWS, knows the attitudes of Wyoming ranchers toward wolves, since he’s facilitated the control of depredating wolves here from the beginning.
In essence, he’s signing on to a wolf “management” system that is more hostile to wolves than any other place in the US, with the possible exception of NM. I’ve studied wolf control in Canada and Alaska and attitudes toward wolves are far more rabid here than up North, where wolves were never extirpated.
If anyone–including Jimenez–thinks that he is going to be able to temper the hostility of ranchers, outfitters, and many hunters toward wolves in this state, then that is a fantasy of the first order, one shared with the Defenders of Wildlife with its absurd livestock compensation program that has done nothing to temper local attitudes.
RH