[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17495-17521]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 514 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, 
H.R. 2643.

                              {time}  1841


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of 
the bill (H.R. 2643) making appropriations for the Department of the 
Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, with Mr. Becerra (Acting 
Chairman) in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier 
today, amendment No. 23 printed in the Congressional Record offered by 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) had been disposed of.


                    Amendment Offered by Mr. Pearce

  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Pearce:
       At the end of the bill, before the short title, insert the 
     following:

                TITLE VI--ADDITIONAL GENERAL PROVISIONS

       Sec. 601. No funds made available in or through this Act 
     may be used for the continued operation of the Mexican Wolf 
     Recovery program.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the 
gentleman's amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The point of order is reserved.
  Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to stop 
a program that has been a failure. Let the record be clear. After more 
than 10 years of failed attempts to reintroduce Mexican wolves, it is 
now time to call an end to this program.
  I am speaking of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program operated by the 
Fish and Wildlife Service in New Mexico and Arizona. Since the 1998 
release of these captive bred wolves into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery 
area, this program has attempted to restore a population of wolves into 
the area, all while providing no compensation to ranchers for their 
livestock losses and all in the face of nearly unified local public 
opinion against the program.
  Promises were made that the wolves would be restricted to the 
wilderness area of the Gila Mountains, but instead we have seen wolves 
as far away as Tularosa, New Mexico, almost 200 miles away.
  To date this program has spent nearly $14 million and as of today has 
only 58 wolves in the wild; $14 million, 10 years, and 58 wolves in the 
wild.

                              {time}  1845

  Of these 58 wolves in the wild, we now are on a pace to remove 12 
this year because they're problems.
  Chart number 1 that I brought up today highlights the increasing rate 
of removal of the wolves from the wild because they're killing too much 
livestock and they're endangering people and pets in the district that 
I represent.
  In 2005, the Service removed four problem wolves. In 2006, it removed 
eight. In 2007, we're on a pace to remove 12 wolves, 12 out of 58. If 
the Service has to remove 12 wolves this year, 20 percent of the wolves 
in the recovery area, how can anyone classify as a success a program 
where this many of the wolves are being a danger to ranchers and 
livestock?
  I would add that the wolves that are released into New Mexico are the 
wolves that have killed too many animals over in Arizona. So New Mexico 
gets the benefit of having the most dangerous wolves released into the 
Second District.
  Secondly, I would like to go to a chart that shows the horse, Six. In 
this shot, on the left side, Stacy Miller, 8 years old, is riding her 
horse, Six. This picture was taken 2 weeks before this picture. This 
picture on the right indicates her horse, Six, after the wolves 
finished with it. You see the ribs have been stripped completely clean. 
The hide is laying out here. That's 2 weeks after the picture was made. 
This is in the Second District of New Mexico.
  And for those of you who want the feel-good feeling of releasing the 
wolves into the wild, let us release them into your daggone area 
instead of the area of southern New Mexico, where they represent a 
danger to the people of the Second District. If you aren't willing to 
take them into your district, then why are you going to spend money to 
put them in our district and endanger our people?
  I would like to draw your attention to another tremendous concern, 
the Durango pack, particularly the female, AF924, which we speak about, 
is stalking the home of a young woman named

[[Page 17496]]

Micha. Micha Miller, not the same, is pictured here. Micha Miller is 
about 100 yards from her front door pointing to a wolf print that is 
there in the dirt. What is startling about this picture is the gun 
which Micha is wearing while she goes about her chores. The Durango 
pack of wolves have been in and around Micha's house for so long that 
her parents insist that she carry this gun with her while she does her 
chores, works or plays in the yard.
  I am submitting for the Record a letter from Micha asking Congress to 
end this program that has put wolves in her front yard.
       Dear Congressman Pearce: I am Micha Noel Miller the 13 year 
     old that has to carry a firearm when I go outside. My parents 
     and I have had the Durango Pack (AF924 & AM 973) in our yard 
     5 times in the last 6 weeks. I hate the wolves in our yard 
     because I feel that I am trapped in my house! I love to ride 
     my horse, bike and walk around outside. Since the 
     reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf I can no longer due any of 
     these things without being afraid.
       When we get home after dark my mom has to go feed our dogs 
     and cats because I'm scared to go outside even though I know 
     the wolves are 6 miles down the road and it doesn't make a 
     difference, I'm still afraid they are coming up behind me. 
     I'm tired of looking over my shoulder and being scared all 
     the time. I have even resorted to carrying a firearm, I'm 
     still frightened of the wolves when they come in my yard.
       I have gone hunting with my dad alot. We have called in 
     coyotes and even a bear and I wasn't as scared as I was every 
     time the wolves were in our yard. The coyotes and bears are 
     more scared of you and will run away, but the wolves will 
     just keep coming closer to you. They are not scared of 
     humans!! I have had a wolf within 40 yards of me and I was so 
     scared I couldn't move. My older sister, A.J., came out and 
     scared the wolf off finally.
       I have nightmares about the wolves attacking my family & 
     our pets. The Wolf Program says you cannot shoot a wolf if it 
     is attacking your pet on private property. I don't understand 
     how the wolf program expects people to stand by and let the 
     wolves kill their pets and not do anything to stop them. They 
     think the wolves are more important than anything else, 
     including human life!
       Congressman Pearce, I wish there was some way you could get 
     the wolf program to remove the wolves. I just want to have a 
     normal childhood where I can go outside and play anytime I 
     want without being armed and worrying about wolves being in 
     my yard.
           Thank you for your help,
                                                     Micha Miller.

  Mr. Chairman, we will hear folks that will follow me talk about how 
healthy wolves have never attacked humans; I would say that they're 
simply wrong. I will submit for the Record a list of recorded attacks 
by wolves on humans. These include healthy captive wolves, domestically 
bred wolves and wolf-dog hybrids.

                         Wolf Attacks on Humans

                  (By T. R. Mader, Research Division)

       It has been widely discussed whether a healthy wild wolf 
     has ever attacked a human on this continent. In fact, many 
     say such attacks have never occurred in North America.
       History states otherwise. Although attacks on humans are 
     uncommon, they have occurred on this continent, both in the 
     early years of settlement and more recently. Here is one 
     report:
       New Rockford, DAK, March 7.--The news has just reached here 
     that a father and son, living several miles northeast of this 
     city, were destroyed by wolves yesterday. The two unfortunate 
     men started to a haystack some ten rods from the house to 
     shovel a path around the stack when they were surrounded by 
     wolves and literally eaten alive. The horror-stricken mother 
     was standing at the window with a babe in her arms, a 
     spectator to the terrible death of her husband and son, but 
     was unable to aid them. After they had devoured every flesh 
     from the bones of the men, the denizens of the forest 
     attacked the house, but retired to the hills in a short time. 
     Investigation found nothing but the bones of the husband and 
     son. The family name was Olson. Wolves are more numerous and 
     dangerous now than ever before known in North Dakota. (Saint 
     Paul Daily Globe, March 8, 1888)
       Here an account is reported which included an eyewitness 
     and the family name. Some have reasoned the wolves were 
     rabid. That is unlikely as these animals were functioning as 
     a pack. A rabid wolf is a loner. Our research has never found 
     a single historical account of packs of rabid wolves on this 
     continent. Individual animals are the norm. Further, accounts 
     of rabid (hydrophobic) animals were common in that day and 
     were reported as such.
       The winters of 1886-1888 were very harsh. Many western 
     ranchers went broke during these years. The harsh winter 
     could have been a factor in the attack.
       Noted naturalists documented wolf attacks on humans. John 
     James Audubon, of whom the Audubon Society is named, reported 
     an attack involving 2 Negroes. He records that the men were 
     traveling through a part of Kentucky near the Ohio border in 
     winter. Due to the wild animals in the area the men carried 
     axes on their shoulders as a precaution. While traveling 
     through a heavily forested area, they were attacked by a pack 
     of wolves. Using their axes, they attempted to fight off the 
     wolves. Both men were knocked to the ground and severely 
     wounded. One man was killed. The other dropped his axe and 
     escaped up a tree. There he spent the night. The next morning 
     the man climbed down from the tree. The bones of his friend 
     lay scattered on the snow. Three wolves lay dead. He gathered 
     up the axes and returned home with the news of the event. 
     This incident occurred about 1830. (Audubon, J.J., and 
     Bachman, J.; The Quadrupeds of North America, 3 volumes. New 
     York, 1851-1854)
       George Bird Grinnell investigated several reported wolf 
     attacks on humans. He dismissed many reports for lack of 
     evidence. Grinnell did verify one attack.
       This occurrence was in northwestern Colorado. An eighteen-
     year-old girl went out at dusk to bring in some milk cows. 
     She saw a gray wolf on a hill as she went out for the cows. 
     She shouted at the wolf to scare it away and it did not move. 
     She then threw a stone at it to frighten it away. The animal 
     snarled at her shouting and attacked her when she threw the 
     stone at it. The wolf grabbed the girl by the shoulder, threw 
     her to the ground and bit her severely on the arms and legs. 
     She screamed and her brother, who was nearby and armed with a 
     gun, responded to the scene of the attack and killed the 
     wolf. The wolf was a healthy young animal, barely full grown. 
     Grinnell met this girl and examined her. She carried several 
     scars from the attack. This attack occurred in summer about 
     1881. (Grinnell, G.B.; Trail and Campfire--Wolves and Wolf 
     Nature, New York, 1897)
       In 1942, Michael Dusiak, section foreman for the Canadian 
     Pacific Railway, was attacked by a wolf while patrolling a 
     section of track on a speeder (small 4-wheeled open railroad 
     car). Dusiak relates, ``It happened so fast and as it was 
     still very dark, I thought an engine had hit me first. After 
     getting up from out of the snow very quickly, I saw the wolf 
     which was about fifty feet away from me and it was coming 
     towards me, I grabbed the two axes (tools on the speeder), 
     one in each hand and hit the wolf as he jumped at me right in 
     the belly and in doing so lost one axe. Then the wolf started 
     to circle me and got so close to me at times that I hit him 
     with the head of the axe and it was only the wielding of the 
     axe that kept him from me. All this time he was growling and 
     gnashing his teeth. Then he would stop circling me and jump 
     at me and I would hit him with the head of the axe. This 
     happened five times and he kept edging me closer to the woods 
     which was about 70 feet away. We fought this way for about 
     fifteen minutes and I fought to stay out in the open close to 
     the track. I hit him quite often as he came at me very fast 
     and quick and I was trying to hit him a solid blow in the 
     head for I knew if once he got me down it would be my finish. 
     Then in the course of the fight he got me over onto the north 
     side of the track and we fought there for about another ten 
     minutes. Then a west bound train came along travelling about 
     thirty miles an hour and stopped about half a train length 
     west of us and backed up to where we were fighting. The 
     engineer, fireman and brakeman came off the engine armed with 
     picks and other tools, and killed the wolf.''
       It should be noted that this wolf was skinned and inspected 
     by an Investigator Crichton, a Conservation Officer. His 
     assessment was that the animal was a young healthy wolf in 
     good condition although it appeared lean. (``A Record of 
     Timber Wolf Attacking a Man,'' JOURNAL OF MAMMOLOGY, Vol. 28, 
     No. 3, August 1947)
       Common Man Institute, in cooperation with Abundant Wildlife 
     Society of North America, has done extensive research on 
     wolves and their history for several years. We have gathered 
     evidence on wolf attacks which occurred in North America.
       A forester employed by the Province of British Colombia was 
     checking some timber for possible harvest in the 1980s. He 
     was met by a small pack of three wolves. The forester yelled 
     at the wolves to frighten them away. Instead, the wolves came 
     towards him in a threatening manner and he was forced to 
     retreat and climb a nearby tree for safety. The wolves 
     remained at the base of the tree. The forester had a portable 
     radio, but was unable to contact his base, due to distance, 
     until evening. When the call for help came in, two 
     Conservation Officers with the Ministry of Environment were 
     flown to the area by floatplane to rescue the treed forester.
       When the Conservation Officers arrived, the forester was 
     still in the tree and one wolf, the apparent leader of the 
     pack, was still at the base of the tree. The officers, armed 
     with shotguns, shot at the wolf and missed. The wolf ran for 
     cover and then started circling and howling near the two 
     officers. After a couple missed shots, the wolf was finally 
     shot and killed.
       The wolf tested negative for rabies. It appeared healthy in 
     every respect, but was

[[Page 17497]]

     very lean. The Conservation Officers felt the attack was 
     caused by hunger. (Taped Interviews and a photo of the wolf 
     on file at Abundant Wildlife Society of North America.)
       This is but one example from British Colombia. Wolves 
     overran Vancouver Island in the 1980s. Attacks became so 
     common that articles were published in Canadian magazines 
     documenting such attacks. (Copies available upon request.)
       Wolf attacks on humans have occurred in national parks, 
     too. In August 1987, a sixteen-year-old girl was bitten by a 
     wild wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. The girl 
     was camping in the park with a youth group and shined a 
     flashlight at the wolf. The wolf reacted to the light by 
     biting the girl on the arm. That bite was not hard and due to 
     the thick sweater and sweatshirt the girl was wearing, she 
     sustained two scratch marks on her arm. The wolf was shot by 
     Natural Resources personnel and tested negative for rabies. 
     (Interview with Ron Tozer, Park Naturalist for Algonquin 
     Provincial Park, 7/25/88.)
       Well-known wolf biologist Dr. David Mech took issue with 
     this attack stating it couldn't really be considered an 
     authentic attack since the girl wasn't injured more severely. 
     It was exactly nine years when such an attack would take 
     place.
       Algonquin Provincial Park is one of several areas where 
     people are encouraged to ``howl'' at the wolves in hopes of a 
     response from the wild wolves in the area. In August, 1996, 
     the Delventhal family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were 
     spending a nine-day family vacation in Algonquin and joined a 
     group of Scouts in ``howling'' at the wolves. They were 
     answered by the howl of a solitary wolf.
       That night the Delventhals decided to sleep out under the 
     stars. Young Zachariah was dreaming when he suddenly felt 
     excruciating pain in his face. A lone wolf had bit him in the 
     face and was dragging him from his sleeping bag. Zach 
     screamed and Tracy, Zach's Mother, raced to his side and 
     picked him up, saturating her thermal shirt with blood from 
     Zach's wounds.
       The wolf stood menacingly less than a yard away. Tracy 
     yelled at her husband, Thom, who leapt from his sleeping bag 
     and charged the wolf. The wolf retreated and then charged at 
     Tracy and Zach. The charges were repeated. Finally the 
     wolfleft. Thom turned a flashlight on 11-year-old Zach and 
     gasped ``Oh, my God!'' ``The boy's face had been ripped open. 
     His nose was crushed. Parts of his mouth and right cheek were 
     torn and dangling. Blood gushed from puncture wounds below 
     his eyes, and the lower part of his right ear was missing.'' 
     Zach was taken to a hospital in Toronto where a plastic 
     surgeon performed four hours of reconstructive surgery. Zach 
     received more than 80 stitches in his face.
       Canadian officials baited the Delventhals' campsite and 
     captured and destroyed a 60-lb wild male wolf. No further 
     attacks have occurred since. (Cook, Kathy; ``Night of the 
     Wolf'' READER'S DIGEST, July 1997, pp. 114-119.)
       Humans have been attacked by wolves in Alaska. The late 
     David Tobuk carried scars on his face from a wolf attack on 
     him as a small child. The incident occurred around the turn 
     of the century in interior Alaska. David was playing in his 
     village near a river. An old wolf came into the village and 
     bit David in the face and started to carry him off. Other 
     Eskimos saw the wolf dragging the child off and started 
     yelling and screaming. The wolf dropped the child and was 
     shot by an old Eskimo trapper who had a gun. (Interview with 
     Frank Tobuk, brother, Bettles, Alaska, December 1988.)
       Paul Tritt, an Athabascan Indian, was attacked by a lone 
     wolf while working a trap line. Paul was setting a snare, 
     looked up and saw a wolf lunging at him. He threw his arm up 
     in front of his face and it was bitten severely by the wolf. 
     A struggle ensued. Tritt was able to get to his sled, grab a 
     gun and kill the wolf. Nathaniel Frank, a companion, helped 
     Tritt wash the wound with warm water. Frank took Tritt, via 
     dog sled, to Fort Yukon to see a doctor. The arm healed, but 
     Tritt never regained full use of it. Several years later, the 
     arm developed problems and had to be amputated. (Interview 
     with Paul Tritt, Venetie, Alaska, November, 1988)
       Two wolf attacks on humans occurred in 2000.
       Icy Bay, Alaska.--6-year-old John Stenglein and a 9-year-
     old friend were playing outside his family's trailer at a 
     logging camp when a wild wolf came out of the woods towards 
     the boys. The boys ran and the wolf attacked young Stenglein 
     from the back, biting him on the back and buttocks. Adults, 
     hearing the boy's screams, came and chased the wolf away. The 
     wolf returned a few moments later and was shot. According to 
     Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) officials, the 
     wolf was a healthy wild wolf that apparently attacked without 
     provocation. The boy was flown to Yakutat and recieved 
     stitches there for his wounds. Later, however, the bites 
     became infected and the boy had to be hospitalized. (Reports 
     and Interviews on file and available upon request.)
       Vargas Island, British Colombia.--University student, Scott 
     Langevin, 23, was on a kayak trip with friends. They camped 
     out on a beach and, about 1 AM, Langevin awoke with something 
     pulling on his sleeping bag. He looked out and came face to 
     face with a wild wolf. Langevin yelled at the wolf and it 
     attacked, biting him on the hand. Langevin attempted to force 
     the wolf toward a nearby campfire, but as he turned, the wolf 
     jumped on his back and started biting him on the back of his 
     head. Friends, hearing his yells, came to his aid and scared 
     the wolf away. Fifty (50) stitches were required to close the 
     wound on Langevin's head. British Colombia Ministry of 
     Environment officials speculate the reason for the attack was 
     due to the wolves occasionally being fed by humans although 
     there was no evidence that Langevin or any of his party fed 
     these animals. (Reports and Interviews on file and available 
     upon request.)
       This is but a brief summary of a few verifiable accounts of 
     attacks on humans by healthy wild wolves in North American 
     history.
       Biologists tell us that the wolves of Asia and North 
     America are one and the same species. Wolf attacks are common 
     in many parts of Asia.
       The government of India reported more than 100 deaths 
     attributable to wolves in one year during the eighties. 
     (Associated Press, 1985) This author recalls a news report in 
     1990 in which Iran reported deaths from attacks by wolves.
       Rashid Jamsheed, a U.S. trained biologist, was the game 
     director for Iran. He wrote a book entitled ``Big Game 
     Animals of Iran (Persia).'' In it he made several references 
     to wolf attacks on humans. Jamsheed says that for a millennia 
     people have reported wolves attacking and killing humans. In 
     winter, when starving wolves grow bold, they have been known 
     to enter towns and kill people in daylight on the streets. 
     Apparently, in Iran, there are many cases of wolves running 
     off with small children. There is also a story of a mounted 
     and armed policeman (gendarme) being followed by 3 wolves. In 
     time he had to get off his horse to attend to nature's call, 
     leaving his rifle in the scabbard. A later reconstruction at 
     the scene of the gnawed bones and wolf tracks indicated that 
     the horse had bolted and left the man defenseless, whereupon 
     he was killed and eaten.
       A Russian Linguist, Will Graves, provided our organization 
     with reports of wolves killing Russian people in many areas 
     of that country. Reports indicate some of the wolves were 
     diseased while others appeared healthy. (Reports on file and 
     available upon request.)
       Reports have also come from rural China. The official 
     Zinhua News Agency reported that a peasant woman, Wu Jing, 
     snatched her two daughters from the jaws of a wolf and 
     wrestled with the animal until rescuers arrived. Wu slashed 
     at the wolf with a sickle and it dropped one daughter, but 
     grabbed her sister. It was then Wu wrestled with the animal 
     until herdsmen came and drove the beast away. This incident 
     occurred near Shenyang City, about 380 miles northeast of 
     Beijing. (Chronicle Features, 1992)
       The question arises: ``Why so many attacks in Asia and so 
     few in North America?'' Two factors must be considered:
       1. The Philosophy of Conservation--Our forefathers always 
     believed that they had the right and obligation to protect 
     their livelihoods. Considerable distance was necessary 
     between man and wolf for the wolf to survive.
       2. Firearms--Inexpensive, efficient weapons gave man the 
     upper hand in the protection of his livelihood and for the 
     taking of wolves.
       Milton P. Skinner in his book, ``The Yellowstone Nature 
     Book'' (published 1924) wrote, ``Most of the stories we hear 
     of the ferocity of these animals . . . come from Europe. 
     There, they are dangerous because they do not fear man, since 
     they are seldom hunted except by the lords of the manor. In 
     America, the wolves are the same kind, but they have found to 
     their bitter cost that practically every man and boy carries 
     a rifle . . .''
       Skinner was correct. The areas of Asia where wolf attacks 
     occur on humans are the same areas where the people have no 
     firearms or other effective means of predator control.
       But . . . ``Biologists claim there are no documented cases 
     of healthy wild wolves attacking humans.''
       What they really mean is there are no ``documented'' cases 
     by their criteria which excludes historical accounts. Here's 
     an example.
       Rabid wolves were a frightening experience in the early 
     years due to their size and the seriousness of being bit, 
     especially before a vaccine was developed. The bitten subject 
     usually died a slow, miserable death. There are numerous 
     accounts of rabid wolves and their activities. Early Army 
     forts have medical records of rabid wolves coming into the 
     posts and biting several people before being killed. Most of 
     the people bitten died slow, horrible deaths. Additionally, 
     early historical writings relate personal accounts. This 
     author recalls one historical account telling of a man being 
     tied to a tree and left to die because of his violent 
     behavior with rabies after being bitten by a wolf. Such 
     deaths left profound impressions on eyewitnesses of those 
     events.
       Dr. David Mech, USFWS wolf biologist, states there are no 
     ``documented'' cases of

[[Page 17498]]

     rabid wolves below the fifty seventh latitude north (near 
     Whitehorse, Yukon Territory). When asked what ``documented'' 
     meant, he stated, ``The head of the wolf must be removed, 
     sent to a lab for testing and found to be rabid.''
       Those requirements for documentation negate all historical 
     records!
       As with rabid wolves, the biologist can say, ``There are no 
     `documented' cases of wild healthy wolves attacking humans.'' 
     In order to be ``documented'' these unreasonable criteria 
     must be met:
       1. The wolf has to be killed, examined and found to be 
     healthy.
       2. It must be proven that the wolf was never kept in 
     captivity in its entire life.
       3. There must be eyewitnesses to the attack.
       4. The person must die from their wounds (bites are 
     generally not considered attacks according to the 
     biologists).
       That is a ``documented'' attack.
       Such criteria make it very difficult to document any 
     historical account of a wolf attack on a human!
       Biologists assume when a wolf attacks a human, that there 
     must be something wrong with the wolf. It's either been in 
     captivity or it's sick or whatever. They don't examine the 
     evidence in an unbiased manner or use historical tests.
       Historically, there are four reasons for wolf attacks on 
     humans:
       1. Disease such as rabies.
       2. Extreme hunger.
       3. Familiarity/Disposition--This is an either/or situation. 
     Familiarity is the zoo setting, captive wolves, etc. 
     Disposition is a particularly aggressive wolf which may not 
     fear man as most wolves do.
       4. In the heat of the chase and kill--This is where a 
     hiker, trapper or whoever disturbs a fresh chase and kill by 
     wolves. The person walks into the scene only to be attacked 
     by the wolves.
       It is our belief that a predator's fear of man is both 
     instinctive and learned behavior. For example, wolves raised 
     as pets or in zoos are well documented to attack and kill 
     humans.
       Alyshia Berzyck, of Minnesota, was attacked and killed by a 
     wolf on a chain on June 3, 1989. The wolf tore up her kidney, 
     liver and bit a hole through her aorta. One month later, on 
     July 1, 1989, Peter Lemke, 5, lost 12 inches of his intestine 
     and colon and suffered bites to his stomach, neck, legs, arms 
     and back in another wolf attack in Kenyon, Minnesota. 
     (Reports on file and available upon request.)
       Zoos carry abundant records of wolf attacks on people, 
     particularly children. The child climbs the enclosure fence 
     to pet the ``dog'' and is attacked.
       Zoos and domestic settings are unnatural in that they place 
     man and wolf in close proximity and they become accustomed to 
     each other. Consequently attacks occur.
       Today predator control is very restricted in scope, and as 
     a result, attacks on humans by predators are becoming more 
     common. In recent years, healthy coyotes in Yellowstone Park 
     have attacked humans. Similar attacks have occurred in the 
     National Parks of Canada.
       On January 14, 1991, a healthy mountain lion attacked and 
     killed an eighteen-year-old high school senior, Scott 
     Lancaster, in Idaho Springs, Colorado. The boy was jogging on 
     a jogging path within the city limits of the town when the 
     lion attacked and killed him. (Report on file at Abundant 
     Wildlife Society of North America)
                                  ____


                Other Reported Wolf Attacks in the Wild

       1. Comox Valley, British Colombia--1986--While driving a 
     tractor, Jakob Knopp was followed by three wolves to his 
     barn. They didn't leave, but kept snarling and showing their 
     teeth. Knopp ran to his barn, retreived a rifle and had to 
     shoot two of the three wolves before the third left the area.
       2. George Williams, a retired sailor heard a commotion in 
     his chicken coup one night. Thinking it was raccoons he took 
     his single shot 22 rifle and headed for the coup. He rounded 
     his fishing boat and trailer when a wolf leaped at him. He 
     instinctively reacted with a snap shot with the rifle and 
     dropped the wolf. A second wolf came at him before he could 
     reload and George swung the rifle and struck the wolf across 
     the head, stunning it. George retreated to the house until 
     morning and found the wolf he had shot, the other was gone.
       3. Clarence Lewis was picking berries on a logging road 
     about a mile from Knopp's farm when he faced four wolves. 
     Lewis yelled at them, two left and the other two advanced 
     towards him. He took a branch and took a couple of 
     threatening steps at them. They went into the brush and 
     stayed close to him. Lewis faced the wolves and walked 
     backward for two miles until he reached his car.
       4. Don Hamilton, Conservation Officer at Nanaimo went to 
     investigate a livestock killing by wolves. Wolves had killed 
     a number of sheep in a pasture and Don went out to examine 
     the kills. He came upon the scene and saw a large gray wolf 
     feeding on one of the sheep. The wolf looked at him, growled 
     and started running towards him at full speed. The wolf was 
     over 100 yards away and never broke stride as it approached 
     Don. At approximately 15 feet, Don shot the wolf to stop its 
     attack. Don, who has many years experience with wolves, 
     stated that he was convinced that the wolf was going to 
     attack him because of its growling, snarling and aggressive 
     behavior.
       5. In 1947, a man was hunting cougar on Vancouver Island 
     and was attacked by a pack of seven wolves. The man backed 
     against a tree and shot the leader of the pack. The pack 
     instantly tore the animal to shreds while the hunter made his 
     escape.
       6. Clarence Lindley was reportedly attacked by a 125-pound 
     timber wolf. The incident occurred in early November, 1992 on 
     the Figure 4 Ranch in Dunn County, North Dakota. Lindley was 
     hunting horseback when the wolf attacked Lindley's horse 
     causing it to jump and fall. Lindley was able to grab his 
     saddle gun, a lever action Winchester 94, as the horse fell. 
     The horse recovered its balance and Lindley found himself 
     face to face with a snarling wolf. ``My heart was pounding,'' 
     said Lindley, ``I could see those big teeth. He was less than 
     five feet away. . . He meant business; he wasn't going to 
     back off.'' Lindley fired his rifle at point blank range and 
     killed the wolf with a shot to the neck. Lindley left the 
     wolf since he couldn't get his horse close to it. On return 
     to his hunting camp, his hunter friends failed to believe the 
     account. They returned to the scene and skinned the wolf. The 
     pelt was a flawless black and gray pelt measuring seven and a 
     half feet from its feet to its snout. Its bottom teeth 
     measured one and a half inches; top teeth--one and a quarter 
     inches. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) 
     confiscated the hide and head of the wolf and took it to the 
     U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for determination of 
     its species. Tests revealed that the wolf was non-rabid. The 
     wolf was thought to have come from Canada. (Reports on file 
     and available upon request.)


              WOLF ATTACKS ON HUMANS (domestic incidents)

       1. In the 1970s, John Harris, a Californian, toured the 
     nation with ``tame'' wolves to promote public sympathy for 
     preserving wolves. In July, 1975, ``Rocky,'' one of Harris'' 
     wolves, attacked a one-year-old girl by biting her in the 
     face. The girl was brought close to the wolf for a picture, 
     an action encouraged by Harris.
       2. In Maryland, a man kept a wolf in his basement and this 
     animal turned and savagely bit and clawed his two-year-old 
     son.
       3. In New York City, a wolf bit a woman as it approached 
     her.
       4. At a zoo in Idaho, a little girl walked up to a cage 
     housing a wolf and reached through the bars to pet the wolf. 
     The wolf bit the arm. The arm had to be amputated.
       5. Mr. Edward Rucciuti, former curator of publications for 
     the New York Zoological Society and author of KILLER ANIMALS, 
     personally witnessed a 12-year-old boy savagely attacked in 
     the Bronx Zoo. This boy climbed a high fence in order to pet 
     the wolves. The wolves (male and 2 females) immediately 
     attacked the boy, ripping at the boy's clothing and flesh. 
     The boy instinctively curled up in a ball, protecting his 
     head, chest and abdomen. He then crawled into the moat in 
     front of the exhibit with the wolves chewing his back and 
     legs. Once the boy made it to the water, the wolves ceased 
     their attack. The boy crawled out of the moat and collapsed. 
     Mr. Rucciuti was amazed that the boy was still alive due to 
     the severity of the bites.
       6. San Diego Zoo (1971) A 15-year-old boy climbed the fence 
     and tried to take a shortcut across the exhibit. He didn't 
     know there were wolves in the exhibit and tried to run when 
     he saw them. The wolves grabbed him by the leg attempting to 
     drag him off. The boy grabbed a tree and hung on. Two 
     bystanders jumped in the enclosure and attacked the wolves 
     with tree branches. The wolves did not attack the two men, 
     but continued to maul the boy. Dragging the boy and swinging 
     their clubs, the boy was pulled out of the enclosure. The 
     wolves in the enclosure were all young animals and it was 
     thought that if the animals were mature, the boy would have 
     died before being rescued.
       7. A few months after the attack on the boy (#6), a man 
     scaled the fence and swung his arms in the exhibit to get the 
     attention of the wolves and got it by being bitten severely 
     on both arms.
       8. 1973--Another boy tried to cross the same compound and 
     was attacked, a security guard shot and killed one of the 
     wolves, and the other fled as the boy was pulled to safety.
       9. 1975--Small zoo in Worcester, Massachusetts, a two-year-
     old lad was savagely bitten on the leg when it slipped 
     through an enclosure opening. The boy's mother and 2 men 
     could not pull the boy free. The wolves did not stop ripping 
     the boy's leg apart until a railroad tie was thrown in the 
     midst ofthe wolves.
       10. 1978--A wolf bit a child in Story, Wyoming. The wolfwas 
     penned at a local veterinary clinic for observation. During 
     that time, the wolf escaped its pen and killed a young calf. 
     Wyoming law prohibits the keeping of wild animals as pets, so 
     the animal was shipped to Ohio, where it had come from. The 
     owner of the wolf went to Ohio and brought the wolf back to 
     Wheatland, Wyoming. It was reported the wolf attacked and 
     killed a child in that area shortly thereafter.
       11. September, 1981--A two-year-old boy was mauled to death 
     by an 80-lb, 3-year old female wolf in Ft. Wayne, Michigan. 
     The boy

[[Page 17499]]

     wandered within the chain length of the wolf.
       12. August 2, 1986 (Fergus Falls, Minnesota)--A 17-month-
     old boy reached and grabbed the fencing which kept his 
     father's pet wolves enclosed. One wolf immediately grabbed 
     the boy's hand and bit it off. The mother was at the scene 
     and received lacerations freeing the child from the wolf.
       13. July 1988 (Minnesota Zoo)--A teenage volunteer reached 
     through the wire fence to pet a wolf and was bitten. The wolf 
     was put to sleep and tested for rabies negative.
       14. May 15, 1989--2-year-old Timothy Bajinski was bitten by 
     a wolf hybrid in his mother's Staten Island, New York 
     backyard. Mrs. Bajinski has been charged with keeping a wild 
     animal.
       15. May 1989--Lucas Wilken was bitten by two wolf hybrids 
     in Adams County, CO (Denver Area).
       16. June 3, 1989--Three year old Alyshia Berczyk was 
     attacked and killed by a wolf in Forest Lake, Minnesota. The 
     wolf had bitten her severely and had injured her kidneys, 
     liver and bit through her aorta. Alyshia was playing in a 
     backyard when she got too close to the chained wolf that 
     grabbed her dress and pulled her down, attacking her.
       17. July 1, 1989 (Kenyon, Minnesota)--Peter Lemke, age 5, 
     attempted to pet a chained wolf and was attacked. He lost 12 
     inches of his intestine and colon, suffered a tear in his 
     stomach, and bite wounds on his arms, legs, buttocks and 
     neck. While being life-flighted to the hospital, Pete 
     arrested 3 times but was saved by medical personnel. The 
     Lemkes have incurred over $200,000 in hospital bills. Pete 
     has a colostomy bag, but doctors are hopeful they can re-
     attach his colon and get it to function normally in later 
     surgeries.
       18. September 3, 1989--A wolf and a dog entered a corral 
     belonging to Leona Geppfart of Caldwell, ID and attacked a 6-
     month-old 400-pound Hereford calf. Geppfart attempted to 
     scare the animals away and they turned on her and she 
     retreated to her house. A short time later, a law enforcement 
     officer arrived and as he approached the corral, the wolf 
     lunged at him. The officer stopped the animal with his 
     shotgun.
       Note: This list of wolf attacks is by no means exhaustive. 
     They are simply listed to show that attacks have occurred 
     both in the wild and other settings.

  Furthermore, while attacks by healthy wolves may not be common, the 
deep concern for wolves which have contracted rabies is a real threat. 
Right now, in Catron County, New Mexico, which is the heart of the wolf 
program, we have had new outbreaks of rabies among foxes. As everyone 
who has seen Old Yeller knows, rabies is a devastating disease which 
can cause tremendous harm. Because of the proximity of wolves to the 
population of New Mexico this year, the Fish and Wildlife Service took 
the extraordinary step of publishing a wolf tip card. Now, for the Fish 
and Wildlife Service to put out a card and distribute it in your 
district telling you to be careful and telling you what to do if you 
come up against one of these threats, you would feel that it should not 
be happening in your district.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, the following material are letters I have 
received from my constituents and other concerned citizens of 
southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona regarding the 
reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf.
  Since the reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf in 1998, the residents 
of my Congressional District have been plagued by problems associated 
with the release. Not only do ranchers suffer economic hardship due to 
wolves preying on their livestock, but countless family pets have been 
lost including dogs and horses. As the wolves become less afraid of man 
every year, I fear they will eventually prey upon humans.
  To date, the program has yielded 58 wolves, 20 percent of which will 
be removed as problem animals, at a $14 million cost to the taxpayers. 
That is $242,000 spent per wolf.

       These are some of our wolf experiences in the past 7.5 
     years. I don't think we have had a decent nights sleep since 
     this program began.
       2003--Wolf notes Monday May 19 to Tuesday May 28.
                                  Tuesday, May 20, 2003 12:42 p.m.
     Subject: Wolves are back
       No sooner that I griped to the Game Commission's about the 
     release of our old friend from the Campbell Blue pack, F 592 
     into the wilderness again that she shows up here again. John 
     Oakleaf called last May 19 about 9 p.m. with the happy news 
     that they were with our cows and calves.
       We were missing 2 calves since Friday and wolf tracks are 
     everywhere but everything was OK when I checked this morning 
     and this afternoon nothing but tracks. Life gets just a whole 
     lot more complicated with them around. How many times can you 
     say I told you so to the FWS, they can't stop believing that 
     releasing heavily pregnant wolves into the Wilderness will 
     keep them there, it doesn't and it hasn't and it never will. 
     Changing the name just buffalo's the public into thinking 
     there are new wolves out there. The new name for F 592 and 
     her new mate was the Sycamore pack. The only good news is she 
     should have had her puppies last week or maybe two weeks ago 
     and she probably killed them if she traveled this far.
       Ivy, my 14 year old daughter rode her paint mare up to the 
     top of the hill by the house this morning like she always 
     does and met up with both wolves. She said they wouldn't 
     leave her alone and squared off with her at about 30 feet 
     away. She didn't want to turn her back on them so she shot 
     and reloaded and shot her single shot 22 off in the air a 
     couple times and they finally scuttled down the hill into 
     Turkey Run in front of her.
       She was pretty excited and not a little scared when she 
     came in. I on the other hand am livid and a lot scared. My 
     kids shouldn't have to be held up by a pair of wolves on a 
     ride \1/4\ mile from the house.
                                                            Laura.
                                 Wednesday, May 21, 2003 1:17 p.m.
     Subject: Wolf update Rafter Spear 5-20&21
       We caught them on the cows and calves last evening May 20, 
     2003 around 7 p.m. and they had them bunched up trying to get 
     a calf out the calves were either crying or sucking, we were 
     just in time. We ran them off all of 50 feet and started 
     driving the cows down the canyon on foot.
       I left Matt with the cows and the 30-30 and went up the 
     other canyon to check the other cows. On the way, I met Dan 
     the wolf guy and told him to hurry up, the wolves were 
     following Matt and he might just have to shoot one since they 
     are following him so close. I stopped at the house to get a 
     blanket for Miles since it was getting cold and he was asleep 
     in the jeep, thank goodness. I also told the girls to saddle 
     up and go help dad move those cows. Which they did.
       Over the ridge I found a bagged up cow with wolf tracks 
     nearby and all the other cows were far enough up the other 
     canyon and still all right with no sign of wolf activity 
     around them. I went on to 74 and check the other cattle 
     thankfully the wolves hadn't been there yet.
       By the time I got back to the turnoff to the house, where 
     Matt and the girls left the cows, Matt was way off ahead on 
     the road home and Dan was parked in the flat near the turnoff 
     to our house with our cows. I picked up Matt and he said to 
     go back and let him talk to Dan. He didn't apologize for 
     yelling at him earlier but let it be known he didn't totally 
     blame Dan for the situation. Dan said he was going to stay in 
     the cows all night and we told him to come to the house and 
     eat first. He said OK.
       He called an hour later {satellite phone} and said the 
     wolves were in the calves again and he wasn't coming in to 
     eat. By then it was 10 p.m. so I made him supper and coffee 
     and we took it out to him. He said they were all over the 
     cows and calves and howling at him because they were 
     frustrated and he was firing rubber bullets at them. He only 
     had enough light to set one trap though. Since he was OK we 
     went home to sleep because after learning they were in the 
     cattle the night before we pretty much stayed awake all 
     night.
       Woke up at 4 a.m. finally got up at 4:30 and Dan showed up 
     at 5:15 with some good news, he caught the male about 20 
     minutes before in the single trap he had managed to set the 
     evening before. Apparently Dan has been improving as a 
     trapper since our Dec. 99 experience with Campbell Blue pack 
     which included F 592.
       Melissa, Ted Turners wolf biologist, was 3 hours away with 
     a cage so we called our neighbor Jack Diamond and he sent his 
     wife Kaye over with a kennel to put the trapped wolf in.
       We went back out and the female was still there with the 
     male but not very close, it was breaking daylight by then. 
     Dan gave the wolf a light sedative type drug so he would 
     relax and not hurt himself in the trap. Matt went to check 
     the cows in 74 where I had gone that night and I waited with 
     Dan in case Kaye got there and Dan needed help loading the 
     wolf. She did and Matt and Dan loaded him into the kennel 
     right about the time Melissa showed up, so we sent that wolf 
     home to Sevilletta. I made Dan keep Melissa's kennel in case 
     592 was caught.
       The female 592 ran off but I am sure she stayed somewhere 
     nearby, Dan looked around for her and then tried to sleep a 
     few hours during the day they aren't very active, thank 
     goodness. The wolves had run him from calf to calf and canyon 
     to canyon last night and he didn't get much rest I am just 
     grateful it wasn't me but I may get a turn tonight. These 
     livestock killers and problem wolves should not be turned out 
     at all. 592 is the major stock killer of the pair and they 
     were determined to get a calf. Dan didn't let them and they 
     actually howled at him about it. But they did manage to bite 
     at least two calves before he could hit them with rubber 
     bullets which seemed to have little effect.
       We are missing two calves one since about last Friday and 
     one since Monday but haven't found any wolf poop yet to see 
     what is up with that. Probably won't be confirmed though. One 
     was about a week old and one was born Saturday to a cow that 
     has never lost a calf, Matt saw it Sunday evening and it was 
     fine then.

[[Page 17500]]

       Mad as we are about all this at least we had competent help 
     and we are grateful for that. Why the hell they are re-
     releasing stock killers is beyond me. It is plain dumb and 
     only makes the program look bad.
                                                            Laura.
     Update: Wolves at the rafter spear 5-21-5-23
       The last few days the wolf story has slowed down a lot but 
     the aftermath is still ongoing. After trapping the male, the 
     female took off and is about 6 miles to the SW at last flight 
     on Thursday. There are traps everywhere in preparation for 
     her return. I understand they are trapping for her because of 
     the incident with Ivy not the calf killing. I don't care why 
     but glad to hear there is a limit to how badly they can 
     accost our kids. Nick Smith and Dan Stark also have a permit 
     to shoot her if they have to.
       My problem is, this animal has a history here and has 
     absolutely no fear it has menaced my daughter and followed my 
     husband, who is not menaceable, or at least he thought he 
     wasn't until he was followed by wolves he was not allowed to 
     shoot. Together they killed and ate two calves before we knew 
     they were here and two bitten calves, they are swelled up and 
     crippled we have shaved measured and taken pictures.
       One has more bites, on the flanks, side and head but they 
     are superficial, the calf is in quite a bit of distress from 
     bruising but hopefully will be fine. I imagine the times when 
     Dan heard the cows get up and shined the spotlight on them 
     and saw the wolf, he stopped the attacks. The next day there 
     was a calf with a swollen front knee in the same bunch, after 
     shaving we found wolf bites on the front and back legs. The 
     knee is hot and three times bigger than the other, the wound 
     on it is superficial but the trauma caused the swelling is 
     severe and this calf may be ruined. Both calves were in the 
     bunch Dan guarded Tuesday night. If he hadn't been there 
     would probably be 4 missing calves and four tight bagged 
     cows. I am glad he got to experience the mayhem one pair of 
     wolves can attempt to wreck in just 12 hours.
       On a side note there is another injury from a calf caught 
     in a trap this morning, nobody is to blame for that, We are 
     grateful to have the traps out, but still, another injury.
       There was a small bunch of 11 cows and calves that were 
     harassed by the pair, not including the two that lost the 
     calves.
       It has been some week. I have a dramatic picture for every 
     day of the week. Yesterday the FS backburned from behind my 
     house and it was pretty scary kind of like a volcano going 
     off on your back door. The results should be good though. We 
     had good representation from our government yesterday though. 
     FWS, FS RITF and APHIS all on the porch at once. If we can 
     find a piece of the space shuttle maybe NASA will come pay us 
     a visit.
       It is hard to know where to begin since our emotions have 
     run the gamut the past few days. Traps were set Tuesday after 
     the male was caught and the female left for several days, she 
     ended up on the Diamond Bar where Nick Smith tracked her for 
     several days. He found one bitten calf probably from the trip 
     over here a week prior. The calf was a month or two old so 
     that is probably why they were still shy about killing it and 
     staying there.
       The weekend was pretty good though, I went to town, 74 
     miles away on Saturday and bought groceries so the guys could 
     be fed halfway decently while they worked and believe me they 
     worked. Matt took Miles, he is 5 and clipped cages below the 
     house and Dan checked his traps and made a 20 mile circle 
     hiking into diamond creek on foot trying to get a signal. He 
     was unsuccessful but Nick Smith found her signal later that 
     night west of the Links camp on the Diamond Bar. On Sunday, 
     Matt and Dan rode into Round Mountain and packed salt. That 
     afternoon everyone rested a bit between checking traps and 
     gardening, painting, watching Kristie and her boyfriend and 
     various other normal pursuits.
       She was back here Monday morning. Dan woke up checked his 
     equipment, got a signal and took off. When I checked cows 
     that day I got a signal that seemed pretty strong right in 
     the cows up 74 draw and Dan's truck was nearby. She pretty 
     much stayed there all day with Dan tracking her along with 
     Nick Smith who came in to help him. Dan came in that evening 
     to make some phone calls and get something to eat. While he 
     was on the phone, Matt and I went out and looked after the 
     cows, one of us on either end of the bunch. She was there the 
     whole time but we didn't have a directional antenna and felt 
     our job was to look after the cows not the wolf.
       Monday night and Tuesday, yesterday. Dan was up all night 
     with her, most of the cattle were west about a mile he felt 
     OK about leaving her alone until light, really there wasn't 
     much choice since she didn't seem to be doing anything but 
     hanging out in that area and it was pretty thick. Near 
     morning he could hear coyotes making a heck of a ruckus in 
     the draw she was up and thought that it was weird since he 
     has been taught all his life that such wolf/coyote 
     fraternizing behavior was abnormal.
       He hadn't remembered or taken us seriously when we had told 
     him the coyotes saved her life in the winter of 1999/2000 
     when she was here last. She had nearly starved to death until 
     she started hanging around with the coyotes. Kristie who was 
     15 at the time had ridden up on her and the wolf followed her 
     part way back to the house. Kristie was really mad because 
     she could see the wolf was half dead from hunger and going 
     bald. It was so cold that winter she would cry on the 
     mountain behind the house and we would hear her at night. She 
     was there for 5 months until she moved to the neighbors on 
     Canyon Creek and killed her first calf. Later that summer she 
     moved to the Adobe which is north of us met with her old mate 
     and really went to killing cattle. Those coyotes saved her 
     life though and she was used to being around them.
       Anyway, Dan hiked into the draw to see what was up as soon 
     as there was enough light and a cow with a full bag of milk 
     met him on his way in. The bad news is 592 was on a cow that 
     had calved a day or two before and she had killed the calf. 
     The coyotes had found her and were trying to steal the 
     carcass from her. He ran both the wolf and the coyotes, off 
     the calf, found two pieces and packed them to the truck and 
     brought them in to the house put them in the barn and called 
     Wildlife Services. As Dan has found out, sometimes there is 
     just nothing you can do about the killing even when you are 
     watching just as close as you can and not sleeping or eating 
     to do it. The wolf has every advantage even if you do have 
     the technology. We were very lucky he found any remains of 
     this calf.
       The calf was killed by the wolf, Wildlife Services verified 
     it the hemorrhaging was way too bad to be coyote and the bite 
     marks measured out. At least the few that weren't eaten away. 
     The calf was in two pieces it was a new heifer and had walked 
     on it's feet quite a bit before it was killed. The cow was 
     one we were concerned about because she had taken off to have 
     the calf as they all do. Apparently she didn't hide well 
     enough to fool the wolf. But as Dan can attest to, she was 
     hidden from all human eyes pretty darned well.
       I had to go to Winston and get gas, so I took Dan and Nick 
     some Orange juice that afternoon, Dan looked like crap and 
     they were still tracking her. Dan was waiting for Nick to 
     radio him and was trying to catch a catnap under the truck 
     when I pulled up, so much for that nap. Johnny Anglin with 
     Wildlife Services arrived the same time I did. We left them 
     to their business about 30 min later. On my way home I found 
     a brand new calf in the same bunch of cows that the wolf had 
     been living with the past couple days. I took pictures of it 
     in case the calf showed up on a milk carton in the next day 
     or two. The cow was eating her afterbirth in the pictures so 
     she was doing her best to keep baby safe instinct is an 
     amazing thing. It was a big old baby too.
       The wolf was shot this evening, the poor little old thing 
     was laid out on the tailgate. She had big feet, a big head 
     and big teeth and an extremely full belly. She did have a 
     really ugly unhealthy looking coat in my opinion for 
     something that had only come out of captivity a few weeks 
     earlier. It had done nothing but follow her own survival 
     instinct as successfully as possible. This was a dumb mistake 
     and a bad situation that didn't have to happen.
       We all spent a week living and breathing this tragedy that 
     resulted in three dead calves, 3 wolf injured calves a bunch 
     of stressed out people one trapped wolf and one pathetic shot 
     wolf. It cost us a full week away from earning any income 
     milling and we are way behind, broke and extremely tired. It 
     cost Dan his peace of mind and taught him the hard way what 
     we have to deal with. Thankfully he retained his integrity in 
     spite of the mess and stress going on all around him.
       Thank goodness it is over for now. However I know the 
     Francisco Pack will be re-released soon and am sure the same 
     set of problems on a larger scale will be imminent as soon as 
     that release takes place. Rereleasing habitual stock killers 
     is poor management and is only asking for trouble. 
     Unfortunately so many of the employees agree with the 
     environmentalists that the wolves should be out on the ground 
     no matter how many of our cows they kill so they just keep 
     using problem and habituated wolves in the program. When the 
     wolf kills too many cattle they just re-write their policy to 
     allow them to leave it out longer and hurt us ranchers more.
       Update: June 5, Sherry Laney found a calf with a big bite 
     in it's behind the bite is 1 and \1/2\ inches, wolf width. It 
     is healing but mildly infected. I guess she wasn't so shy 
     over there after all.
                                                        June 2004.
       A single wolf has been moving around 74 draw all month. 
     Matt found a small calf with his hind end totally mauled. We 
     already had his mother here at the house, that cow never ever 
     loses a calf so Matt had been looking for the calf, the calf 
     found him actually ran to him bawling for help. We cut away 
     the dead and infected flesh and found bites in all the same 
     places as last years calves, WS came out but they didn't do a 
     thorough job examining it. I was gone so nobody insisted on a 
     thorough job like I would have. I did it myself later. This 
     is a wolf attack the bites measure out and the injuries are 
     in the same place and there were wolf tracks.

[[Page 17501]]

       People don't realize wolves are not efficient killers and 
     they aren't at all humane about what they do. They simply get 
     something down and start eating and the prey dies of shock 
     and blood loss. It is very difficult for someone who raises 
     livestock to see their hard work tortured to death in this 
     manner, especially the pregnant cows and the baby calves. 
     This wolf was inexperienced and the calf got away. He nearly 
     died of the infection though and weighed about 150 pounds 
     less than the other calves. I guess when he finally went to 
     the market he was considered a wolf friendly beef.
       Summer 2005 wolf tracks up and down 74 draw again. Watching 
     all the cattle all the time no time for school or anything 
     else. Kristie got married in July so we are glad the wolves 
     didn't show up until after the wedding anyway. No kills that 
     we know of except to a bear which we were allowed to take 
     care of so that ended that problem.
                                                     October 2006.
       At least two separate wolves moving in and out of the area. 
     These wolves do not have tracking collars. FWS will not 
     investigate. WS showed up and documented tracks so we can do 
     something if there is a kill. Nothing so far that we were 
     able to find just a lot of lost time and a huge amount of 
     fuel again. Bought two Pyreneese pups in September, we can't 
     afford to feed them but we have to do something progressive.
       We have also purchased water rights and are going to the 
     huge expense of putting an irrigation system into the old 
     fields on this place so we can bring cows into the deeded 
     land if necessary and wolves get into them again. We have to 
     be able to defend our cattle and the rules only allow us to 
     do so if they are on deeded land.
       We have also built kennels at a 4000 dollar cost that we 
     also cannot afford but we can't allow wolves to come into the 
     deeded land and kill our valuable cow dogs. We can't operate 
     in this rough country without them.
                                                December 26, 2006.
       Pyraneese puppies who are 5 months old now gone. The other 
     one is hiding under the porch and there are wolf tracks 
     everywhere. We had them penned up in the yard but they found 
     a way out. The kids are devastated. We looked everywhere but 
     the puppy is gone. The wolf just carried him off. All that 
     dog food we have in him wasted all those kid hugs and effort 
     just eaten up like it was nothing.
       We will have to replace him, his brother can't be alone 
     with these animals around. I guess we just have to get used 
     to living with death and destruction and still we are 
     supposed to be happy people and living under the requirements 
     of the law. It is sickening.
                                                             2007.
       June 11 on our way home from town we saw three wolves, one 
     had a collar but two did not. They were in Brian Carters cows 
     on the side of the road just about two miles from the Poverty 
     creek subdivision. They were just laying in the tall grass 
     with the cattle waiting for it to get a little darker. Matt 
     and I ran them off the cows and called our neighbors to tell 
     them the wolves were in the cows. It didn't help, the next 
     day we went over with our monitor and there was no signal for 
     the collared animal so he is probably has a non functioning 
     collar. This is a whole other pack FWS do not believe exist.
       Found wolf poop two different piles of it. One had calf 
     teeth in it. FWS never even bothered to come out or do 
     anything at all and there is no telling where these animals 
     are now.
       Our closest neighbor Jack Diamond has the horse killing 
     aspen pack on him in his roughest pasture they are having 
     pups there and are now feeding his yearlings to the pups. I 
     went over and gave moral support while they confirmed the 
     first kill that the Diamonds were able to find. They are out 
     there every day but like I said it is rough country and they 
     won't know how many they lost until it is time to ship the 
     yearlings.
       Nearly 2 year old heifer eaten alive at water tank on 
     Diamond's place. All three wolves involved only the male has 
     a strike towards removal. The rule doesn't say only one wolf 
     gets the strike. FWS are cheating the people out here of 
     proper and fair management to leave killer wolves out on the 
     ground.
                                                      May/June 07.
       I once again have two sets of wolf tracks and no signal in 
     our cow pasture. I am watching the cattle like a hawk.
       The Boy Scout camp has moved in and that seemed to have 
     driven the animals out for now. Now I am just worried sick 
     about the kids so I warned, mentioned is a better word the 
     wolves to the scoutmasters. How do you tell them that wolves 
     that attacked a dog in front of an 8 year old girl are here 
     within a half days walk of your camp. I didn't tell them all 
     that, didn't want them to feel uncomfortable out here. I want 
     them out here while it is still possible, within a year or 
     two, nobody will be comfortable camping out here with kids. 
     So I told them to come and use my phone for anything they 
     needed and I am checking in on them every day or two. It is 
     nerve wracking but they are making quite a bit of noise so 
     things should be ok.
       We are exhausted and financially strapped from all the re-
     vamping of our operation and we are demoralized by all the 
     un-collared wolves we are seeing and finding tracks for. 
     Mostly it is so disheartening that nobody even cares about 
     our neighbors and ourselves. That we are all going broke 
     supporting this program and those kids running it are getting 
     huge salaries and don't end up losing anything, ever. Why us 
     why is it our responsibility to shoulder this program's 
     foolishness? Why are we being allowed to go bankrupt? Why 
     can't I finish my college education? Why can't my youngest 
     daughter go off to school too? She feels like she needs to be 
     here to help us keep our home and help us keep our family 
     ranch in business.
       My son never got to be raised at the creek playing with 
     minnows and frogs like his sisters did before wolves. He 
     hasn't gotten to ride with his dad hardly at all either, he 
     just turned 9 and his whole life has been affected by wolves. 
     At least our girls were able to be raised out here the way we 
     intended. Our son is locked into a yard and has to be watched 
     constantly.
       I have to attend every single meeting I can scrape together 
     gas money for, and we can't afford to any more. But if we 
     don't go, FWS and the groups that support this program and 
     who get paychecks to go to these meetings will come up with 
     another plan to harm us further.
       I pray every night that this program will go away, before 
     it is too late for us before it is too late for the game and 
     the whole country is too dangerous to live in the way it used 
     to be.
           Sincerely
     Laura.
                                  ____

                                                   March 14, 2007.
     Subject: Grant County Farm and Livestock Bureau urging 
         support for a Grant County Commissioners' wolf management 
         resolution or ordinance.

     Grant County Commissioners,
     Grant County Administrative Center,
     Silver City, NM.
       On behalf of the Grant County Farm and Livestock Bureau, 
     this letter is written in support of Grant County 
     Commissioners passing a resolution or ordinance that will 
     uphold the Constitutional rights, insure citizens safety and 
     reduce the economic impact of the introduction of the Mexican 
     Grey wolf into Grant County.
       As the Government closest to the people, the county is 
     obligated to take a stand on how the wolf introduction 
     project is operated within their jurisdiction so that the 
     following problems are overseen. Property rights 
     (compensation for any losses due to the wolves), safety for 
     human lives, public health concerns such as rabies, and to 
     insure that rural economic pursuits are not jeopardized.
       Active participation of the county commissioners and county 
     law enforcement personnel with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
     Service and the New Mexico Game and Fish Department is 
     absolutely necessary in order to manage the wolf 
     introductions and insure that Grant County citizens rights 
     are not violated. In the final analysis we feel very strongly 
     that there is no animal on this planet worth the life of a 
     single child. It is the right and responsibility of Grant 
     County Commissioners to insure that the lives of our children 
     are never at risk from wolves.
           Sincerely,
                                                     John C. York,
     President.
                                  ____


                   Wolf Sighting on the N Cross Ranch

       On March 13, 2007, between 7:15 and 7:45 a.m., I Ryan 
     Jameson had a threatening encounter with several Mexican Grey 
     Wolves. I was working on the N Cross Ranch in Cliff, New 
     Mexico, and beginning to saddle a horse at our barn. All 
     seven of the horses were in the stalls, when suddenly they 
     began frantically snorting and stomping. I looked towards the 
     south and noticed that several objects were running due west, 
     approximately 150 to 200 yards away from the barn. As I 
     continued watching, I realized that the moving objects were a 
     pack of wolves! I was filled with fury as I watched these 
     ferocious animals sprint directly towards two of our bulls. I 
     knew that I had to take control immediately in order to not 
     only protect these two defenseless bulls, but also the other 
     twenty-two three- to six-year-old bulls in Pitt's Pasture. I 
     jumped on the four-wheeler, rushed up to my grandmother's 
     house, and got a means of protection. Then just as quickly as 
     I had come, I raced back towards the area in which I had 
     spotted the wolves. My goal was to run them off of our bulls 
     as quickly as possible. As I neared their location, I noticed 
     that five wolves were circling the two bulls. I decided to go 
     at them head on, which caused two of the predators to break 
     off. However, three of the wolves persisted and continued 
     circling. They did not break away until I was only about 
     twenty yards away. Two of the wolves then headed northwest 
     towards my grandparents' house. Luckily I was able to 
     redirect them towards the direction of the other three 
     wolves, after alarming them with my hollering and the four-
     wheeler. Next the wolves went under a nearby fence, into 
     Pitt's Pasture. After dismounting from the four-wheeler, I 
     jumped

[[Page 17502]]

     over this same fence. This maneuver made me a barrier between 
     the five wolves and the bulls. At this point I was only about 
     ten to fifteen feet away from the dangerous pack, and I 
     realized that they all looked full as if they had just come 
     from a kill. I began shouting and waving my arms, and slowly 
     four of the wolves ran away. The fifth wolf lurked behind the 
     others; though, and he confidently stared right at me. I 
     stood my ground and continued creating a ruckus, which caused 
     the animal to trot in the same direction as the others. The 
     five wolves climbed to the top of a hill and sprawled under a 
     tree.
       I knew that I should proceed by reporting the incident to 
     the officials; however, I did not want to lose contact with 
     the pack. I had to be sure that they did not cause any 
     further damage to our cattle. After riding the four-wheeler 
     back to my grandparents' house, I called my grandfather and 
     mother, inquiring about which officials I should call. They 
     informed me that they would make all of the necessary calls, 
     and I was instructed to watch the wolves very closely. We did 
     not want the wild animals to attack any of our cattle. The 
     wolves were close enough to my grandparents' house that I was 
     able to watch them from this location. This is exactly what I 
     did for about twenty minutes. During this time the wolves 
     were sniffing around and moving amongst the trees on the 
     hill. However, they then began to move out over the hill, 
     which prevented me from seeing them. I immediately got back 
     on the four-wheeler and raced to the top of the hill, in 
     order to be sure that the predators were not harassing or 
     harming any of the cattle in Pitt's Pasture. When I arrived 
     at the top of the hill, the wolves were only about fifteen to 
     twenty feet away and four of them were already circling three 
     bulls. I jumped off the four-wheeler and ran towards these 
     wolves. They eventually broke off and trotted away from the 
     scene. However, as I looked over my shoulder I noticed that 
     the fifth wolf was only about six feet away and was circling 
     me. The male wolf was in a crouching position and its hair 
     was standing on end. After it did about three-fourths of a 
     circle around me, I charged the wild animal. This seemed to 
     be my only choice as I was overwhelmed with fear for my life. 
     As soon as I began to charge, the wolf trotted off towards 
     the other four wolves. I ran to my four-wheeler, in hopes to 
     catch up with the pack. I wanted to see where they were 
     headed, but unfortunately I lost sight of them.
       Two hours after this horrific incident, a plane flew over 
     our ranch in the exact direction that the wolf pack had run 
     off to. The plane made three to five tight circles above this 
     area. I was for certain that the person or people in the 
     plane were tracking the wolves, because I had seen a collar 
     on one of the wolves. I also believe that the other four 
     wolves wore collars as well. However, due to the emotional 
     intensity of the events, I was not focusing on specific 
     characteristics of the wolves or their collars. I was intent 
     on protecting our livestock!
       Later in the day, about early to mid afternoon, a USDA 
     official, Pat Finch, came out to our ranch to investigate the 
     wolf incident. I took him to the location of the first 
     encounter with the wolves, which was nearby the barn. Mr. 
     Finch examined and measured the tracks. I recall these 
     measurements being roughly 4.5 inches long by 3.5 inches 
     wide. He then stated that the tracks were wolf tracks. At 
     this point I told him the unforgettable story that I have 
     recorded here. My family has yet to hear any further 
     information regarding the Mexican Grey Wolves. There has not 
     been a single government official contact us since the day of 
     our encounter with these threatening animals, March 13, 2007.
     Ryan T. Jameson.
                                  ____

                                              Monday, June 4, 2007
     From: Jim Taylor.
     Subject: Wolf program cost.

       We are involved in a small mother-cow operation, and 
     fortunately are fairly well removed from the areas wolves 
     have been introduced to. However, we did sight a pair on our 
     property (17 miles east of T or C, NM) and this sighting was 
     confirmed by our neighbors to the east of us and all the way 
     south to the Cutter area.
       We reported this sighting to US fish and game--several 
     months later, one of their reps came by asking about the 
     sighting . . . as if they really cared. We attended one 
     ``wolf meeting'' in T or C--hosted by fish and game I guess. 
     Forest Svc, State fish and game, US fish&game, and some more 
     reps from other govt agencies there. I did some rough, 
     unqualified math in my head in relation to what all these 
     talking heads with the govt agencies were making (salaries, 
     expenses, transportation, etc) then added what their 
     employees (field grunts) were making--then the cost of 
     equipment, feed, medicine, etc, then the scariest part--what 
     their bosses (the politicians, lobbies, and other general 
     carpet baggers) were milking us (the tax paying public) for.
       I stated to the chair of that meeting that I surely didnt 
     begrudge anybody employment, but I felt our tax dollars--and 
     their educations, could certainly be put to better use than 
     feeding a bunch of wild dogs. Seemed pretty darn silly to be 
     messing with obsolete evolution while we have so many socio-
     economic challenges in this country--(the homeless, the 
     hungry, the uninsured, just to scratch the surface). Instead 
     of feeding a wild dog, why not channel that money and all the 
     ``brain power'' these wolf activists and their lackeys 
     control to a very evident and more worthwhile endeavor. I 
     dont like the tax burden I carry, but if I've got to pay 
     those taxes, I hate to see them squandered on the wolves. 
     From where I sit, the whole program stinks--I think it's 
     about how many dollars the carpet bagging activists can 
     garner, and the wolves are no more than a vehicle for them to 
     reach that end. And at the taxpayers expense.
       I also believe the wolf program is a poorly masked assault 
     on the livestock industry and possibly even conspires to a 
     future land grab, as ranchers are forced out of business. 
     Sorry, but I cant find much nice to say about the program.
                                                       Jim Taylor,
     Engle, NM.
                                  ____

                                  Friday, June 15, 2007 12:46 p.m.
     From: Micha Miller,
     Subject: Letter about wolves

       Dear Mr. Pearce: I am Micha Noel Miller the 13 year old 
     that has to carry a firearm when I go outside. We, my parents 
     & I, have had the Durango Pack (AF924 & AM 973) in our yard 5 
     time in the last 6 weeks. I hate the wolves in our yard 
     because I feel that I am trapped in my house! I love to ride 
     my horse & bike & walk around outside, for that I wish we 
     could get the wolves out permantly!
       When we get home after dark my mom has to go feed our dogs 
     & cats because I'm scared to go outside even though I know 
     the wolves are 6 miles down the road & it doesn't make a 
     difference, I'm still afraid they are coming up behind me. 
     I'm tired of looking over my shoulder & being scared all the 
     time. Even carrying a firearm I'm still frightened of the 
     wolves when they come in my yard.
       I have gone hunting with my dad alot. We have called in 
     coyotes & even a bear & I wasn't as scared as I was everytime 
     the wolves were in our yard. The coyotes & bears are more 
     scared of you & will run away, but the wolves will just keep 
     coming closer to you. They are not scared of humans!! I have 
     had a wolf within 40 yards of me & I was so scared I couldn't 
     move. My older sister, A.J., came out & scared the wolf off 
     finally.
       I have nightmares about the wolves attacking my family & 
     our pets. The Wolf Program says you cannot shoot a wolf if it 
     attacking your pet on private property. I don't understand 
     how the wolf program expects people to stand by & let the 
     wolves kill their pets & not do anything to stop them. They 
     think the wolves are more important than anything else, 
     including a human life!
       I wish there was someway you could get the wolf program to 
     remove the wolves. I just want to have a normal childhood 
     where I can go outside & play anytime I want without being 
     armed & worrying about wolves being in my yard.
       Thank you for your help,
     Micha Miller.
                                  ____

                                   Friday, June 15, 2007 3:59 p.m.
     Subject: Mexican Gray Wolf

       I would like to share with you my out look on the Mexican 
     Gray Wolf. It makes me sick to see what damage this program 
     of Dumping the Wolf off here on the New Mexico and Arizona 
     border has done, I don't see how this got passed because 
     there is not but two people here in Reserve NM. that I have 
     talked to that would even consider this wrong doing, Why 
     didn't the people in the surrounding towns and Ranches get to 
     vote on this matter?
       The Cost to the American people for this wrong doing is way 
     over its bounds when you want to give this matter some real 
     down home thought. . . . What were the Endangered Species Act 
     and The Defenders of Wildlife thinking Let alone our elected 
     officials doing? Thinking back that was about the time Bill 
     Clinton and Monica Lewinsky was spending too much time in the 
     oral office, What was all the other elected officials doing 
     at that time? Makes me wonder. When this Wolf matter should 
     of been the main topic, instead of watching our President 
     stand before America and lie like he did on television about 
     his affair with Monica.
       What is going to be done about this Wolf Reintroduction 
     Program, that should be called Dumping the Wolf along the 
     NM./AZ. border. There was a lot more food for the Wolf a 100 
     yrs. ago and the Wolf didn't make it then, Why is it that the 
     Organizations that got the wolf dumped here now seem to have 
     over looked this part, are they going to bring back the 
     Buffalo that use to run on the ranges back to? The wolf is 
     going to need a large food source soon from the way I see 
     things, The wolf and all other predators are over taking what 
     use to be. The poison that use to keep the predators thinned 
     down is no longer used now and there should of been some 
     other means of taking care of this problem, Now the Wolf is 
     here eating and killing what few Deer there is left and the 
     Elk, What is going to happen when the Elk herds keep falling 
     off? Is that just OK because the Wolf needs to eat to. I feel 
     that the groups that wanted the Wolf here should make some 
     other means of feeding it, there

[[Page 17503]]

     use to be over 50,000 head of sheep in the Gila National 
     Forest surroundings and now there is nowhere that amount, The 
     Deer are all but gone as to what use to be here even 10 yrs 
     ago. Since the Organization's of Organized Crime that got the 
     Wolf Dumped off here along the NM. AZ. border, Why don't they 
     bring back the Dinosaur's, Buffalo. I would rather see 
     Charles Manson back cruising the streets of LA. California. 
     And Grizzly Bears in Time Square NY. my self, it would keep 
     crime rate down.
       Any Way you want to look at this matter our country is not 
     doing good when a Group of people can dictate what goes on 
     here in the South West and not even live here, It is wrong. 
     Why don't they put the Wolf in there own back yard or keep 
     them in the pen next to where the Buffalo that use to Rome 
     here are being kept, and continue to hand feed the Wolf that 
     didn't make it 100 yrs ago and will not make it now, if you 
     look at this with common sense, the Wolf is going to run out 
     of food to eat!!! Then What?
       Some people say that the Wolf wont attack humans well there 
     is a book out that will give you a different out look on this 
     matter it is called Wolves in Russia and you can get your 
     copy at www.wolvesinrussia.com http://www.wolvesinrussia.com/
 I'm very disappointed in how the Wolf Dumping went, and I 
     feel this matter is going to get a lot worse before it gets 
     any better, What do you think is going to happen when little 
     red riding hood or little johnny gets off the school bus and 
     gets attacked by the Big Bad Wolf on there way home from 
     school? then what do you think is going to happen, How long 
     is it going take for the American people that have to live 
     with this situation everyday and wake up some morning and 
     decide to take the Law into there own hands? What is going to 
     stop everybody that lives in surrounding towns to get 
     together and decide to open a wolf hunt and everyone go wolf 
     hunting?
       How would you like to wake up and have Wolves around your 
     house all day waiting to attack the family pet/livestock,
       When the Wolf gets hungry enough there is nothing going to 
     stop it from killing what ever it can to stay alive, That 
     could be a good time for all the Organizations and People 
     that wanted and got the Wolf here for them to go on a family 
     camping trip to see there first wolf in the wilderness and to 
     here there first wolf howl, they will have to get out from 
     behind there desk. I sure hope they bring plenty of dog food 
     and leave there guns at home, Just maybe they can have there 
     first hands on situation with a pack of Wolves and see how 
     they like the Ida then.
     Gregory Scott.
                                  ____

     From: Micha Miller.
     Friday, June 15, 2007 12:46 p.m.
     Subject: Letter about wolves

       Dear Mr. Pearce: I am Micha Noel Miller the 13 year old 
     that has to carry a firearm when I go outside. We, my parents 
     and I, have had the Durango Pack (AF924 and AM 973) in our 
     yard 5 times in the last 6 weeks. I hate the wolves in our 
     yard because I feel that I am trapped in my house! I love to 
     ride my horse and bike and walk around outside, for that I 
     wish we could get the wolves out permanently!
       When we get home after dark my mom has to go feed our dogs 
     and cats because I'm scared to go outside even though I know 
     the wolves are 6 miles down the road and it doesn't make a 
     difference, I'm still afraid they are coming up behind me. 
     I'm tired of looking over my shoulder and being scared all 
     the time. Even carrying a firearm I'm still frightened of the 
     wolves when they come in my yard.
       I have gone hunting with my dad alot. We have called in 
     coyotes and even a bear and I wasn't as scared as I was 
     everytime the wolves were in our yard. The coyotes and bears 
     are more scared of you and will run away, but the wolves will 
     just keep coming closer to you. They are not scared of 
     humans!! I have had a wolf within 40 yards of me and I was so 
     scared I couldn't move. My older sister, A.J., came out and 
     scared the wolf off finally.
       I have nightmares about the wolves attacking my family and 
     our pets. The Wolf Program says you cannot shoot a wolf if it 
     is attacking your pet on private property. I don't understand 
     how the wolf program expects people to stand by and let the 
     wolves kill their pets and not do anything to stop them. They 
     think the wolves are more important than anything else, 
     including a human life!
       I wish there was someway you Mr. Pearce could get the wolf 
     program to remove the wolves. I just want to have a normal 
     childhood where I can go outside and play anytime I want 
     without being armed and worrying about wolves being in my 
     yard.
       Thank you for your help.
     Micha Miller.
                                  ____

       Dear Sir: I am Samuel Montoya, a Viet Nam Veteran and a 
     life resident of New Mexico. I was born in Las Cruces, and 
     was brought up to enjoy the outdoors and the abundant hunting 
     privileges, shared by and with many generations of my family.
       Since the wolf program has been active in our state, the 
     enjoyment of the outdoors has stopped; and our hunting has 
     become unsafe.
       In 2006, myself and some friends were on an elk hunt in the 
     Gila, specifically units 16A and 16D. A total of 4 elk were 
     killed. Two of the hunters were my friends that came in to 
     hunt were from Indiana. They paid out of state license fees. 
     We were bow hunting and they stuck their elk in the evening 
     and lost the blood trail when it got dark. I told them we 
     would get up early and continue to track. Well, we found them 
     and a wolf was on them and had eaten over half the elk. I 
     ensured they tagged it which is in accordance with NM Game 
     and Fish laws. They went home paying the state $766.00 and 
     all their expenses getting here and then going home without 
     the elk they had killed.
       I am also a landowner at Elk Springs. Is it sad that I 
     can't do anything to protect my property and pets, on my own 
     property, from the wolf. This is the policy of the Federal 
     and State Government. I have had wolves on my property and so 
     have other neighbors in the subdivision.
       In reading our Constitution of the State of New Mexico, 
     Page 2, Article II. Bill of Rights Section 2-3-4, Popular 
     Sovereignty and Right of Self Government and Inherent Rights, 
     we no longer have these rights; they have been taken away 
     from us. The most important to me are sections 3 and 4. I 
     cannot govern what happens on my property with the wolf, and 
     in section 4, I cannot enjoy and defend my life and liberty 
     of acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and of 
     seeking and obtaining safety and happiness, as long as the 
     wolf is present.
       Our game--elk, deer, etc., will no longer be what it is 
     today, due to the wolf. I don't know how our Federal 
     Government could bring the wolves into New Mexico and feed 
     them with our state game. The hunters have paid for our elk 
     population, by purchasing licenses. Our Game & Fish are 
     supposed to take care of our game, but are doing a bad job.
       What I would like to see done is to give back the care of 
     our forest and game to the State Police, and get rid of our 
     NM Game & Fish. I think they have forgotten who pays for 
     their jobs. The wolves should be removed and relocated to 
     White Sands Missile Range, since there is no one living 
     there, and let the Federal Government fence them in and feed 
     them. This will allow us to get our rights back on our 
     property, and our freedom to walk in our back yard without 
     having fear of the wolf.
       Thank you for listening and your assistance is appreciated.
     Samuel E. Montoya.
                                  ____

                                 Tuesday, June 12, 2007 11:44 a.m.
     From: Laura Schneberger.
     Subject: More kills on Durango not that it matters
       Durango is howling all around the Garcia all night, a cow 
     was bawling like crazy so in the morning they went looking 
     and found the calf. They are examining it now. Probably will 
     be confirmed but then the female will be spared a strike and 
     she already has two of them. The male has none in the past 
     year that I know of, so he will get this strike and probably 
     the next two, then at the very end of the strike process, 
     they will finally admit there is a problem anywhere from 3-15 
     cows later and issue removal orders.
       They have been killing all along it is big country though 
     and the cowboys are spread so darned thin. It really stinks 
     that they are responsible for 90% of wolf management or they 
     can just suck up the losses. I have no idea what FWS does 
     anymore other than pander to the Defenders of wildlife and 
     their pals and go to the bar in Alpine at night. Oh yes, they 
     go to meetings where they plot and plan on how to make sure 
     the people out here are impacted as badly as possible.
       Ranchers can't afford to go not even to defend themselves 
     anymore we don't get per diem for the 3.50 a gallon gas and 
     if we leave the kills escalate and are found even less often.
       So now the bites found on the calf are 35 mm, way to big to 
     be a coyote but not your normal wolf spread either. So 
     something is going on here that isn't very kosher. a small 
     female wolf can be about 35 mm but usually they are 38-42 and 
     the males a bit bigger. a large coyote is 28. The new WS guy 
     who wants to be friends with everyone is making noise about 
     putting this kill on coyotes. Even though the Durango were 
     there when it happened, the bites are all over the back of 
     the 250 pound calf. I have never seen a coyote kill a 250 
     pound calf, 100 is about the limit unless there are three or 
     four coyotes then maybe 150.
       Someone needs to get the biological stats and specifically 
     the width of these released wolves teeth out to us. FWS knows 
     exactly how wide their teeth are but they sure won't offer 
     any information.
       Just the latest in the ongoing saga.
                                                Laura Schneberger,
     Gila Livestock Growers Association.
                                  ____

                                Wednesday, June 20, 2007 1:26 p.m.
     Subject: Wolf.
       When we were hunting in the Gila last year we killed an elk 
     cow. We killed our cow went packing out our meat, took the 
     first of it out, came back for more. About 1 hour latter, the 
     wolves had been their and ate the rest of the meat. It is not 
     right we paid for the meat and the wolf gets it. It is harder 
     to

[[Page 17504]]

     get a permit now, because of the wolf. It is not fair. Why do 
     we have to bring them back?
     Earl and Kathleen Hills.
                                  ____

                                  Sunday, June 17, 2007 12:54 p.m.
     Subject: Wolf problems from Ground zero.
       Dear Congressman Pearce: My name is Preston Bates; I own 
     the N Bar Ranch and am permittee on the T Bar grazing 
     allotment on top of the mountains near Reserve, New Mexico. I 
     am ``Ground Zero'' of the Mexican Wolf recovery area. They 
     have literally destroyed my life and here is my story. I came 
     to Catron country in 1992 with a background of horses, cattle 
     and tourism. My goal was to start a guest ranch and breed 
     cattle and horses. I had no deep pockets but I had plenty of 
     determination and some good luck. I found the N Bar Ranch and 
     after some discussion with the absentee owners I leased it in 
     1994 later making a purchase in 1997.
       I started on a shoestring, tents for accommodations, 40 
     head of old cows, and some rented horses. I grew up on the 
     east coast and I knew what people wanted in a western 
     vacation and I knew where they were coming from and how they 
     wanted to be treated. We were not the typical ``Dude'' ranch. 
     We found a small niche to fill by being a hands on, jump in, 
     get dirty, get real, working ranch.
       The business took off, the tents became cabins, our cowherd 
     grew and developed with careful selection and purchase of 
     quality stock. The same with our horses, we bought good 
     horses and started breeding and training our own. By 2000 we 
     had over 300 guests per year, with a return guest rate of 73 
     percent while the industry average was 12 percent. At this 
     time I employed three people full time and three others for 
     summer help. I bought locally supporting the Reserve 
     community; between payroll and doing business locally I put 
     at least $150,000 annually back into Catron County.
       Back when the wolf reintroduction program was first being 
     discussed and later when initially implemented I was probably 
     the most wolf tolerant rancher around. The reintroduction of 
     the Mexican wolf has been devastating to our lives in so many 
     ways.
       Financially: I first started seeing wolves in 2000 on my 
     allotment and around my house. I suffered my first loss in 
     2000. As I am sure you are very aware the cooperation was 
     non-existent, as was the compensation. My calf crop started 
     showing significant reduction by 2002 and continued until 
     2005 dropping from an average of 82 percent to 49 percent. In 
     2005 at 49 percent my cow herd should have been at it's peak 
     of production as the average age of my cows was five years 
     old and I was running a ten to one ratio of cows to bulls. I 
     estimate in 2005 alone I suffered $50,000 in losses and even 
     with confirmed kill reports for both cattle and horses, I 
     have never been compensated one cent from Defenders of 
     Wildlife. They are quick to pay the people on the fringe of 
     the recovery for their own P.R. but are slow or don't pay 
     those of us at ground zero knowing it is a burden we cannot 
     bear long. D.O.W. should not be the ones responsible for the 
     compensation. This is a Federally funded program and congress 
     should be the ones making the payments for their decision to 
     fund this failing program.
       I have a mortgage of $78,000 per year. From the beginning 
     my business plan called on the cattle to pay the mortgage and 
     the guest business to pay all other expenses and 
     improvements. By 1999 I had reached this goal. In 2005 with 
     the horrific losses I suffered the calf income would not meet 
     my mortgage. I had no other choice but to sell most of my 
     horses to cover the difference. As a result I could no longer 
     accommodate the ten guests per week. We could only take four 
     guests. I could not just go out and by some cheap horses and 
     expect to continue the safe, quality operation I had 
     established. So in just one year I lost 50K in income from 
     cattle and 60 percent of my future income. I have had to let 
     go all of my employees.
       Management: I have the Luna pack on my range and they have 
     been here for years now, I also estimate I have 11 uncollard 
     wolves. I have had to change my management of my cattle to 
     attempt to reduce my losses. I now have to bring in all my 
     cows with calves to my private land and feed them through the 
     winter. This results in an additional feed expense of $4,000 
     to $6,000 per year plus the several hours a day spent feeding 
     and watering them, which takes away from other tasks. I also 
     now use a feed supplement on the open range for the other 
     cattle to attempt to control their movement thus making it a 
     bit easier to check my cattle daily in the 14,000 acre 
     pasture in which they winter. This supplement has cost me 
     $6,200 each year for the last three years. There is $12,000 
     new expenses directly caused by the wolves.
       I also have to stay out in a camp during March and April 
     and make rounds at night during calving season. Camping out 
     this time of year at 8,000 ft elevation is not a lark. We 
     don't have nice camp trailers, ours have no heat or water and 
     at 50 years old it takes its toll. I continue living with my 
     cattle until late November, on average I stay in camp 250 
     nights a year. Staying out at camp and keeping my pastures 
     busy has helped with my losses, I have seen a gain in my calf 
     numbers but it has taken away the quality of life we once 
     enjoyed.


                                 Safety

       We have wolves around our house constantly. I don't mean 
     just a few times a year, it is rare we do not see them every 
     day. They have no fear of us. They have attacked horses in my 
     corrals 50 yards from my house. They have killed newborn 
     colts and injured young horses. They have spent days digging 
     up our horse cemetery just a couple hundred yards from the 
     house, eating years old carcasses. They are in the corrals 
     every night in the winter eating frozen cow manure. They sit 
     on the hill a hundred open yards from our house at noon and 
     bark at us when we are outside. Up close and personnel 
     encounters are common. I have had them in my camp during the 
     day, eye to eye at 15 feet being given a challenge. I have 
     been stalked for miles while horseback. One of my cowboys was 
     stalked as well. While changing a tire on the main forest 
     road I had one come up behind me without my knowing till I 
     turned around and he was so close I was able to throw a 
     handful of road gravel in his face. My 11-year-old son will 
     not nor will I let him go hiking or adventuring away from the 
     house and barns. No more playing in the woods near the house 
     building forts and doing things a kid should do. He is 
     emotionally and mentally held captive by the wolves. He has 
     seen up close the killing they do. He was with me when full 
     of excitement we went to see if the mare had foaled that 
     night only to find it half devoured. We can longer go for 
     walks with our dogs for fear the wolves will attack. My wife 
     won't walk or hike alone anymore even down the driveway. I 
     never use to carry a weapon. I do now even when doing chores 
     around the house. Weekly I have to fire off shots both day 
     and night when the wolves are just too close to the house. It 
     has gotten that they don't run until the third or forth shot 
     and often only go a few hundred yards. I have chased them a 
     foot yelling, tried cracker shells, whistlers, not much 
     scares them anymore they are use to it all. These are not 
     wild animals.
       The difference between this wolf recovery effort and that 
     done in the northern Rocky Mountain States is they started 
     with wild wolves. These wolves here are human raised animals 
     that relate people to food and safety. That is why we see so 
     many more wolf/human interactions here than up north.
       The management practices of the wolf recovery team put 
     public safety at the bottom of the list. They have allowed 
     wolves to den within a mile of the most recreated campground 
     and lake in the entire Gila national forest. They have signs 
     posted along the wilderness boundary about the wolves but 
     there are no wolves in the Wilderness area. They are all up 
     in the general forest area. There are no warning signs posted 
     in these areas where people camp concerning the wolves and 
     safety of pets and children. This is done to perpetuate the 
     commonly held idea that the wolves pose no public safety risk 
     if you don't go into their habitat. I talk to campers all the 
     time who have had wolves come into their camps and they never 
     even knew they were in wolf habitat.
       These wolves will kill a child soon.
       As I write this, my guest business is no longer operating I 
     had to sell the last of my horses. I am trying to hold on to 
     the place working 300 cows and 125 sections of land by myself 
     hoping I can sell it as a ranch before I have to subdivide my 
     private land, which would only cause more human/wolf 
     conflicts.
       The Mexican wolf has destroyed everything I have worked for 
     years. I am the first to go down as a direct result of the 
     Mexican wolf introduction, I will not be the last unless 
     something is done to stop this program which will never work 
     but will cost many people in this community their livelihoods 
     before it is decided to have been a failed effort.
       Thank you for all your efforts, for this we all commend 
     you.
           Sincerely,
     Preston Bates.
                                  ____



                                             Beaverhead Ranch,

                                         Winston, NM, May 2, 2007.
     New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
       Within the last two weeks Alpha Female 667 began to den in 
     Taylor Creek. Accompanying her is male 863 and female pup 
     1046. Our family owns a private parcel in the bottom of 
     Taylor Creek and like most homesteads it was established at a 
     permanent spring. The majority of property sits in the bottom 
     of the canyon and the water rises at the lower end of the 
     property. This spring is not only a source of water for 
     wildlife, but also for our livestock. It is the only source 
     of water in the bottom of the canyon within a 2 mile radius.
       According to recent activity and wolf locations, we believe 
     the female may be denning on our private property or within 
     1/4 of a mile of our private property. In order for her and 
     the other two wolves to drink, they have to enter our private 
     property and cross directly in front of our house. Our recent 
     discovery of these wolves is of great concern to us. First, 
     uninformed and unaware of the locations of these wolves, we 
     moved yearlings to this exact pasture just one week ago. As 
     the canyon sits in the middle of this pasture, cattle use the 
     canyon as a crossing to get to each side as well as a funnel 
     to water on our private property. When we are grazing this 
     pasture we use our house there as a residence and a place to 
     keep our horses.

[[Page 17505]]

       Shortly after releasing our cattle, a cow elk carcass was 
     found 25 yards from the house. Suspicious of the kill, we 
     returned with a radio collar tracking devise (on loan from 
     the USFWS) to track wolf locations. Before entering the 
     canyon we received strong locations on two of the wolves. As 
     we dropped off into the bottom of the canyon we spotted Male 
     863 on our private property. Investigating closer, we spotted 
     numerous tracks on and around the spring. We have spent the 
     last three days with our cattle to avoid any depredations. 
     With all of our time and resources concentrated in one area, 
     we have no time to tend to remaining cattle elsewhere on the 
     ranch also threatened by nearby wolves.
       Our family has fully cooperated and maintained a working 
     relationship with the wolf program up to this point. We had 
     informed the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service when cattle were 
     turned out on our allotment. We have asked and were assured 
     that we would be informed of wolf locations on or near our 
     allotment. We do not understand why a collared wolf was 
     allowed to den so close or possibly on our private property.
       Time is of the essence; a major problem is quickly 
     developing. We request that these wolves be immediately 
     removed before any livestock depredations occur. If possible, 
     we would like to request that a representative from the New 
     Mexico Department of Game and Fish assist us with a solution 
     to this problem. Our family ranch has been fully cooperative 
     and hopes that the right decisions are quickly made in this 
     matter.
       Thank you for your prompt attention and action.
     The Diamond Family.
                                  ____



                                                  Adobe Ranch,

     NM Department of Game and Fish.
                                                      May 1, 2007.
       We have lost 5 cows and 10 calves to wolves on the Adobe 
     Ranch since January 2007. These confirmed kill reports have 
     been sent to the Defenders of Wildlife and we have not 
     received payment for any of these depredations. No payment 
     has ever been received for any of our numerous 2006 
     depredations to date.
       Currently there are 3 packs on the Adobe Ranch. The Durango 
     pack was within twenty feet of one of our cowboy's house all 
     night last night, May 1, 2007 confirmed by Wildlife Services.
       We have lodged complaints with NM Dept. of Game & Fish 
     representatives and the Federal Fish & Wildlife Service 
     recovery team, and have received no response from either. The 
     recovery teams response on past complaints has been that they 
     have neither the time nor personnel to investigate these 
     incidents.
       The situation with the wolves is getting way out of hand in 
     this area both financially and with habituated wolves hanging 
     around our houses. The loss of game and livestock in this 
     area will soon reach catastrophic levels. Your attention to 
     this matter is urgently requested
       Thank You.
                                                             Gene,
     Manager Adobe Ranch.
                                  ____

                          Los Lunas, New Mexico, February 6, 2007.
       Dear Representative Pearce: There is a situation in Catron 
     County, New Mexico, involving many of the residents there, 
     their children, their horses, cattle and pets, and the 
     reintroduced Mexican grey wolves. It seems to be reaching 
     crisis status, and yet nothing is being done.
       Apparently, while these wolves are protected by law so that 
     no one may harm them, they are also far too habituated to 
     humans and have no fear of approaching human dwellings and 
     properties. People are finding wolf droppings on their front 
     porches! They are watching while their dogs are being killed 
     by the pack, unable to lift a finger to stop the slaughter. 
     Cattle and horses are likewise being preyed upon, and in one 
     instance, a child was surrounded by the pack for several 
     minutes. Fortunately for everyone, in that case the wolves 
     eventually decided to leave, but it doesn't always end that 
     way.
       I am a bona fide ``tree-hugger'', and have long been happy 
     to send letters, sign petitions and even donate money--when I 
     have any to spare!--in order to further the cause of wolves 
     being assisted in reclaiming much of their former 
     territories. I firmly believe that there must be a way for 
     all of us to share this planet and live our lives. Indeed, I 
     have learned enough about nature to understand that each 
     element is necessary for a healthy ecosystem, and devastating 
     ``domino effects'' occur when one species is extirpated and 
     the balance is upset. But no one can argue that a wolf that 
     learns to view humans as non-threatening becomes a very grave 
     threat to humans and all other animals in our charge. For 
     quite some time now, the National Forest Service has made 
     huge efforts to educate the public about the dangers of bears 
     becoming relaxed about approaching human-inhabited areas 
     looking for food in garbage. It invariably results in someone 
     having to shoot the bear because it endangered human life. It 
     hardly needs a college degree to realize that wolves are 
     equally dangerous when they lose their natural shyness of 
     human, and certainly no one can argue about their 
     intelligence. This means you have a number of smart, fearless 
     and frighteningly capable predators claiming areas as their 
     own when people already live there.
       Something needs to be done, and sooner than later. I cannot 
     express my dismay to think that my support of wolf protection 
     programs might have in any way helped this dreadful 
     circumstance come into being. I think if many of the Catron 
     County residents were asked, you would find that they are not 
     against a wolf reintroduction program, but clearly they 
     weren't expecting wolves who can't be bothered to stay away! 
     Domestic animals represent some easy kills, and we cannot 
     blame the wolves for making that choice. But waiting until 
     they attempt to take down a human is beyond irresponsible, 
     it's criminal.
       I am hoping I can count on you to take some immediate 
     action on this urgent issue. The people responsible for the 
     wolves being released in Catron County aren't residents there 
     and don't have to live every day with the consequences, but 
     they simply cannot be allowed to let the situation continue. 
     I appreciate the time you have taken to read this letter.
           Sincerely,
     Evelyn Bailey.
                                  ____


         Wolves on a Killing Spree Prompt County to Take Action

                            (By Lif Strand)

       Catron County, New Mexico. Wolf incidents in Catron County 
     are on the rise and Catron County's Commissioners, who 
     declared an emergency situation in February, 2006, are now 
     determined to take firmer action to protect the citizens 
     here.
       ``These wolves are on a killing spree,'' said Catron County 
     Commission Chairman Ed Wehrheim recently. ``They killed a 
     horse on Whitewater Mesa just the other day, the second horse 
     in just one month.''
       Wehrheim is gravely concerned because these are just more 
     incidents in what appears to him and the other Commissioners 
     to be a never-ending spiral of killings of animals that the 
     Commissioners feel will ultimately end with the attack by a 
     wolf on a human being.
       The County passed the emergency declaration last year 
     primarily to put a halt to the economic devastation caused by 
     the presence of Mexican wolves which not only hunt wild game, 
     but also kill cattle, horses, dogs, cats and other domestic 
     animals.
       Now it appears that the situation has become more than an 
     economic emergency and has escalated to a high level of risk 
     for human lives in Catron County.
       At base is the problem that many of these wolves are 
     habituated to humans. This means that, unlike normal wild 
     animals, habituated wolves are unafraid to be around humans 
     and areas where humans spend time. It becomes more and more 
     difficult to haze away habituated wolves when they have their 
     sights set on an easy meal--which may be a family pet.
       This is just what happened with the Miller family on their 
     Link Ranch in Catron County south of Wall Lake--not far from 
     a dude ranch where families with children vacation. Last 
     November, the Millers' 8 year old daughter went out to the 
     corral near the house to let the horses in to feed them 
     grain. Right in front of her, the alpha male of the Aspen 
     wolf pack attacked the family dog which had accompanied her 
     to the corral. The wolf was unfazed by the Millers' attempts 
     to chase it off the dog, which was only saved from death by 
     the fact that it was wearing a large collar. This was the 
     second attack on one of the Miller's dogs in just weeks.
       Then, early in January, wolves trapped the Miller's 
     daughter's horse, Six, in the same horse pen, where Six had 
     run for safety. There was blood everywhere. If this was a 
     typical wolf kill, Six would have been torn apart and eaten 
     while still alive. Hopefully the Miller's daughter is unaware 
     of that fact. The wolves continue to stalk the rest of the 
     Miller horses, sometimes chasing them for miles.
       ``The horses are back at our house but so are the wolves,'' 
     Mark Miller reported last week. ``As of this morning, the 
     wolves are all around the house and the horses are huddled in 
     a corner of our property.''
       Miller went on to express his concern for his daughter's 
     emotional health, since at eight years old, she cannot help 
     but be aware that if her dogs can be attacked and her horse 
     killed, she might be the next victim. Any child would have 
     nightmares about that.
       Miller and his wife are both walking around in nightmares 
     of their own, as are many ranchers and others who live in the 
     wolf reintroduction area. They all are anxious about the 
     safety of their families and their pets, and are facing tough 
     decisions about whether they should abandon their homes and 
     their livelihoods for somewhere else where predators have 
     more protections than humans. But, of course, who would buy a 
     home surrounded by wolves that would make you and your loved 
     ones prisoners inside?
       Is this any way to live?
       The Catron County Commissioners don't think so. They know 
     that in a killing frenzy a wolf can attack a person who 
     happened to

[[Page 17506]]

     be nearby. This is not the idle speculation by wolf haters, 
     but simple science. Sharks do it, hyenas do it, so do wolves. 
     The Miller's little girl could so easily have been killed 
     weeks before Six was.
       There have been quite a few wolf killings of dogs, cats, 
     horses and other domestic animals in Catron County. While 
     many people often feel that losing some cattle is not too 
     much to pay for reintroduction of wolves in the forests of 
     the southwest, people who live here don't feel it is fair 
     that they should pay the price they are paying for this wolf 
     program. And it looks like the price is becoming more than 
     economic--it looks like it might become the blood of a child.
       People from out of this area have little idea of what it is 
     like to be constantly anxious and fearful because of wolves. 
     Many don't believe that there really is a problem in Catron 
     County.
       ``When a wolf howls and you know it's threatening your 
     family, your livelihood, the whole custom and culture of 
     where you live, you don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling,'' 
     said Charlie Gould, ranch manager from northern Catron 
     County.
       The Catron County Commissioners agree, and they feel it is 
     time that they do something about it. The County has worked 
     hard with U.S. Wildlife Service and other agencies in charge 
     of the wolf program, but the Commission--and the people of 
     Catron County--believe they just aren't taken seriously when 
     they express their fears about the risks to human life from 
     so many non-wild, human-habituated wolves in the area. And 
     they don't want to wait for the death of a child to have 
     someone take them seriously.
       The Commission, charged with protecting the health, safety 
     and welfare of the citizens of Catron County, will have 
     before them on Wednesday, February 7, an ordinance which lets 
     them exercise their police powers granted under New Mexico 
     State Statute, when there is a threat to human life. This 
     ordinance will allow the Commission to issue a ``Dispatch 
     Order'', an instruction issued by the Catron County 
     Commission for physical removal of a wolf by lethal means 
     from within the borders of the County by an authorized 
     individual. If the U.S. Wildlife Service doesn't do it, then 
     the Commission will, because the Catron County Commission is 
     taking this situation very seriously.
       ``I want to be somewhere where my kids are safe.'' Katy 
     Leist, rancher, mother. July 2006.

     
                                  ____
                                     Paragon Foundation, Inc.,

                                  Mesilla Park, NM, April 6, 2007.
     Alfredo Montoya,
     Chairman, New Mexico State Game Commission,
     San Juan Pueblo, NM.
       Dear Mr. Montoya: I am once again appealing to you and the 
     New Mexico State Game Commission to help me find some relief 
     for the people, all citizens and taxpayers of New Mexico, who 
     unfortunately live and work within the Blue Range Wolf 
     Recovery Area and are suffering the consequences of the 
     Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Program.
       There is not one person who lives within the BRWRA that has 
     not been impacted by this wolf recovery program, the vast 
     majority of whom have been impacted negatively. I can assure 
     you that most people who live within the BRWRA have had their 
     fill of wolves and want this program to end now.
       Further evidence of the disruption this incredible program 
     has created in the lives of hundreds of people, is not 
     necessary. You have seen and heard enough and are fully aware 
     of the dilemma these folks are forced to live with each and 
     every day.
       Also, Mr. Montoya, every elk hunter I see is now starting 
     to see the impacts of the wolf program on the elk herd in the 
     Gila and, likewise, wants the program to end today. Dr. 
     Thompson may tell you otherwise, but people who live and work 
     in the Gila National Forest are seeing a severe decline in 
     the numbers of elk throughout the forest. I do not need to 
     remind the commission of the huge economic benefits the' elk 
     hunting industry brings to the state at many levels.
       We know the wolves are killing lots of elk. I spoke to one 
     property owner in the Gila who counted over 100 elk carcasses 
     in the area he hunted in last fall and another saw 17. A 
     rancher on the northern edge of the Gila has seen an 80 
     percent decline in the numbers of elk that he normally will 
     see on the ranch. He also told me that he sees lots of elk 
     carcasses and he's sure they were killed by wolves. He also 
     believes that for every elk that is killed by wolves, four or 
     five vacate the area and move to the north. So, if that is 
     the case, then the elk herd is being reduced by 4 to 5 elk 
     for every one that is killed by wolves.
       Another rancher told me that when a pack of wolves moves 
     into an area that is inhabited by elk, as soon as the wolves 
     apply depredation pressure, the elk will move out of the area 
     and it is not unusual for them to travel 20 to 50 miles to 
     get away from the wolves.
       So, in order to try and confirm this movement of elk out of 
     the Gila, I called two ranchers in the Grants/Gallup area. I 
     asked first if they knew of any wolves in that region of the 
     state and they told me that they had not heard of any. I then 
     asked them what the situation was with the elk numbers in 
     that area. They both said that the elk numbers were 
     increasing and that there were a lot of elk in the region.
       Both ranchers told me that the elk were putting a huge 
     amount of grazing pressure on the available forage in the 
     region and that the Forest Service was trying to reduce 
     livestock numbers on grazing allotments to compensate. This 
     might be fine if the Forest Service were willing to 
     compensate the ranchers for the lost production, but we all 
     know that is not going to happen. This is the same scenario 
     that the ranchers in the Lincoln National Forest are 
     struggling with too many elk competing with livestock for the 
     available forage in the region.
       The Forest Service sure doesn't have a problem forcing 
     ranchers to reduce livestock numbers but won't hold the 
     Department of Game and Fish to the same standard. If the 
     Forest Service was truly interested in protecting the 
     resources, then they should hold the Game Department to the 
     same standard as they do the ranchers who own the grass.
       Anyway, my point is, the wolves are applying so much 
     pressure on the elk herds in the Gila, and aside from the elk 
     they kill, they are causing elk to move completely out of the 
     Gila and into other areas to the north. There is no other 
     direction for them to go.
       So now what happens as the elk numbers decline in the Gila? 
     What will replace the elk as a primary prey base for wolves? 
     There are no deer. The only thing left will be the livestock. 
     Cattle are being killed on a fairly regular basis anyway and 
     will continue to be at risk. Horses are extremely vulnerable 
     because they respect fences and cannot leave the country like 
     the elk can. Is this part of the plan?
       The wolves have had 10 years to reach some kind of 
     acceptable balance and get established in the Gila. They're 
     not even close. I offer to you that it is not within reach. 
     An acceptable balance of wolves, prey base and people in the 
     BRWRA is impossible and the program is already a dismal 
     failure.
       At what point will, whoever is in charge of this program 
     (I'm not sure any of us know), say: ``OK. I guess that's 
     enough . . .this ain't gonna work''.
       Where is that sacrificial threshold? Will it be when a 
     child is lost? Or maybe it's more than one.
       All I'm asking for is honesty. What do the people you have 
     sworn to serve, have to do to end this unbelievable 
     injustice? Just tell us the truth.
       Thank you for your time.
     Joe Delk.
                                  ____

                                  Tuesday, June 05, 2007 7:44 p.m.
     From: Kim Tricky.
     Subject: Wolf incident
       Dear Congressman Pearce: Here are a few wolf encounters we 
     have experienced first hand here on the H-V ranch. The ranch 
     straddles the Arizona/New Mexico line with the bulk of the 
     ranch in Catron County. The first incident is about a large 
     domesticated wolf that wandered into the ranch. This happened 
     about three years ago.
       It was a very LARGE wolf, but obviously domesticated. Macky 
     saw him drinking out of the horse water trough and watched 
     him for quite awhile trying to decide what to do. The wolf 
     showed no fear but was not threatening at all--just very 
     thirsty. It then sort of followed him to the front of the 
     corral and went chest deep into to duck pond where it 
     continued to drink. When it came out of the water Macky threw 
     a loop made of baling twine around its neck and tried to lead 
     it to the trailer--it didn't lead very well, so was sort of a 
     half-lead and half-drag kind of deal. He had to lift it into 
     the trailer (yes, he really is that crazy!). We called the 
     wolf people and J Brad Miller, who called me back. I told him 
     the animal was obviously someone's pet, and absolutely 
     huge!!! Very wolf looking with no decernable dog traits. He 
     couldn't believe the size of the wolf when he came to pick it 
     up--He said it was a timber wolf-- like from Canada! They did 
     take it in and do the DNA tests and the last I heard some 
     lady came and claimed him. I'm sure someone had turned him 
     out and he was looking for someone to take him home! He 
     appeared to be older and had calluses on his elbows like he 
     had been laying on concrete for quite a while. We have had 
     several other wolf/dog episodes here around our house-- all 
     have proven to be hybrids turned loose.
       Another episode was when we had three large black wolves 
     hanging around our corral on the hill. We had several cattle 
     in the corral and they were acting aggressive towards Macky 
     when he showed up. He scared them off and called the Game and 
     Fish. They determined that they were hybrids and tried to 
     trap them but were unsuccessful and finally were able to 
     shoot them. We lost a good cowdog the night before Macky saw 
     these wolves. My son had left him out of the pen overnight 
     and he simply disappeared. We never saw any sign of him 
     afterwards.
       The third event happened last summer in August. The San 
     Mateo pack had been on our allotment since their release in 
     March. They had killed a calf in one of our upper pastures 
     (which was documented by the game and fish) but the calf 
     belonged to a neighbor, not us. Then they were suspected in a 
     couple of killings on the Arizona side of the line above our 
     house. We noticed one of our good ranch geldings did not come 
     in with the other horses and went to investigate. We found 
     him dead and pretty decomposed and eaten

[[Page 17507]]

     out. Macky looked at his legs for signs of predation but 
     could not tell anything, and because he was my son's horse 
     and my son was very distraught over the death (at the time we 
     assumed maybe he had been hit be lightning or something) that 
     we buried him with the backhoe. The next day when Macky went 
     out to catch one of the younger horses to work with him he 
     discovered wounds and bite marks all over him. We called Game 
     and Fish and they confirmed a wolf attack on this two year 
     old thoroughbred colt (grandson of Seattle Slew). The colt 
     has since recovered, but is very frightened of dogs now. We 
     strongly suspect the other horse had been run and killed by 
     the wolves also.
       The second spring after the wolves were released we 
     received a call from the Game and Fish about one collared 
     wolf and two uncollared wolves jumping up and running calves 
     in the Spur Lake Basin. They had tried to chase them off the 
     calves with the plane and had called Macky to report. We then 
     rode everyday over there with a USGF person looking for 
     possible kills. All we ever found were tight bagged cows 
     missing their calves. We would often see a cow ready to calve 
     and the next day see her again without a calf and obviously 
     tight bagged and bawling for the calf. When we gathered this 
     pasture to brand we noticed we were at least 20 calves short 
     of what we would normally expect to gather. These cows were 
     all preg tested in the Fall and pregnant at the time they 
     were turned out to this pasture.
                                  ____

                                  Tuesday, June 05, 2007 1:48 p.m.
     From: Mary Macnab.
     Subject: Attacking the people--The Mexican wolf

       This area has been inhabited for thousands of years and is 
     still laced with living communities. The landscape has 
     absolutely no ``core'' peopless area for wolves to recover 
     in. Respected wolf biologists Ed Bangs and Stewart Brecht of 
     the No. Rocky. Mt Wolf Recovery have recognized this and 
     stated that it can never work here. The wolves were dumped 
     right on top of us. Not ``over there'' or ``beside'', but 
     right on top of our backyards, towns, communities, children, 
     schools and the sensitive grazing/calving areas that support 
     the small family ranches which form the basis for our 
     regional, sustainable and generational economy here.
       I am especially disturbed by the callous lack of concern 
     the involved government functionaries have regarding 
     incidents where wolves stalk and circle our children in the 
     woods, in their yards, and walking home from school. One 
     county is seeking funds for wolf-proof cages so children can 
     wait for the schoolbus in relative safety. Small children 
     cannot be let out of sight, even in their back yard, as many 
     incidents of ``prey testing'' (staring at, stalking/
     following, showing no fear) have been experienced here, 
     especially with children. Children old enough to venture out 
     on their own and all others, to be safe, must carry a firearm 
     when leaving home.
       This unconscionable situation of irresponsible lawlessness 
     in complete lack of respect for our foundational legal 
     protections for safety, happiness, and right to protect 
     private property have been thrown out the window in favor of 
     alien agendas contrary to all the participating officials 
     oath of office which (state and federal) upholds the most 
     important and supreme duty--the protection of the rights of 
     the people. ANYONE AWARE OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY OCCURING HERE 
     SHOULD BE VERY ALARMED! This percedent of callous 
     governmental disregard for the welfare of the people in favor 
     of an agenda which is alien and extremely dangerous to them 
     does not bode well for anyone's future in the United States.
       Such careless disregard can destroy our communities, our 
     families, our economies, our whole world.
       The ``pogrom'' personnel, whilst receiving their relatively 
     posh paychecks are flagrantly and regularly breaking federal 
     law in the form the rules and regulations supposedly 
     governing this program especially regarding the safety of the 
     people and their livelihoods--many illegalities are protected 
     by cover-ups. This is a program with no where to go but 
     cultural genocide (by wolves/land torpedoes) or, mercifully, 
     away.
       I recently witnessed a dangerous dog attack another's pet 
     in an urban area. Witnessed by several people, the response 
     was immediate and loud. That dangerous animal ``should not be 
     out where it could threaten'' others or their pets. One man 
     said that if that dog ever threatened him or his dog ``it 
     would be dead''. It was quite obvious that these urbanites 
     would broke no dangerous animals ranging their and their 
     pets' territory.
       Here in pogromland we have no recourse. Cattle on the range 
     are fair game unless you see the wolf attack which almost 
     never happens. Compensation is a joke. Children can be 
     stalked and monitored by known dangerous wolves daily with no 
     real legal recourse to protect their safety until the wolf 
     ``touches'' (read attacks) the child's body. One bite of 
     these powerfully jawed animals can break the leg of a 1,200 
     lb. elk in half. Reporting incidents is fruitless as these 
     are downplayed to nonexistance to make the pogrom look good 
     to the higher-ups and the masses.
       All is skewed or covered-up, by massive public information 
     campaigns with the actual ground zero reality carefully 
     censored. To these truly misinformed urbanites these 
     perception development operations make the pogrom seem not 
     only palatable, but charismatically desirable. This leads to 
     the ``public support'' so often used as the pogrom's 
     justification for existance.
       THERE ARE MANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DUMPING KILLER 
     PREDATORS IN PEOPLE'S YARDS AND COMMANDEERING AIRPLANES AND 
     FLYING THEM INTO BUILDINGS. In both cases the targets are 
     people, not government.
       These federal functionaries who illegally and/or unsafely 
     dump killer predators are not attacking the U.S. government. 
     They are attacking average citizens in our homes and on our 
     properties.
       Will you appeal to the Department of Justice to explain why 
     cover-ups and the breaking of federal law and rules leading 
     to illegal predator dumping is not terrorism, and why they 
     are shirking their duty? Will you please prevail upon the 
     U.S. Attorney to explain to the world why planned and 
     deliberate acts of terror directed against the people are of 
     no concern to his office, if indeed this is the case?
           Sincerely,
                                                      Mary Macnab,
     Blue, AZ.
                                  ____

                                                     June 5, 2007.
       Mr. Pearce: Here is our testimony regarding the Mexican 
     Wolf problem up to 2006. Since the beginning of 2007 we have 
     had another confirmed Cow kill along with her missing calf. 
     Our ranch is for sale now as we cannot sustain such financial 
     losses. Hope this will help.
       Thanks for your efforts.
       Narrative Statement of Our Claims, March 2, 2006:
       The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) wolf management 
     program and actions adversely affect our civil rights and 
     property rights and investment-backed expectations and way of 
     life. We describe, below, the destruction of our property 
     rights, disregard for our rights and privileges and the 
     significant negative stress on our family.
       In April of 2004, after many years of hard work and 
     planning we were at last able to purchase our life long 
     dream, a small business of our own, the Deadman Allotment we 
     call it the V Bar Ranch. In the Fall of '04 we started 
     finding lots of wolf tracks up and down the north fork of 
     Negrito in the area where our cattle were watering. This was 
     a concern to us as we had over $50,000.00 worth of cattle 
     inventory, and the future for our new business depended on 
     that inventory of cows and bulls. We soon found out that the 
     US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Mexican Wolf Blue Range 
     Reintroduction Projects (MWBRR), San Francisco Wolf Pack was 
     in our area. The pack was causing much havoc on our 
     neighbors, the Blairs, Rainey Mesa, Y-Canyon, N Bar, and the 
     Tackman Ranches, and now we too were experiencing the same 
     problems. To add to everyone's wolf problems, in the early 
     part of 2005, the USFWS Wolf People re-released the Ring Pack 
     back into our area. (Note: the pack had been removed 365 days 
     earlier because of livestock depradation.) Ring female was 
     pregnant and ready to have her pups, in which she denned up 
     in our Eagle Peak Pasture to have them. These factors set the 
     stage for the disastrous spring of 2005.
       In March of '05 we found 5 dead cows within a one mile 
     radius. Three of those cows were wolf kills, but we were 
     unable to have them confirmed because by the time we found 
     the carcasses in our rough terrain, they were too dry and 
     eaten up to verify wolf teeth marks. We went on the topical 
     evidence, wolf tracks, wolf scat, area, and position of where 
     and how the cow was laying. It was a positive of the three 
     out of five cows. So, there was $3600.00 worth of livestock 
     down the tubes, not to mention the $1500.00 worth of calves 
     the cows would have raised that summer.
       As we continued into the spring of '05 the wolf situation 
     got worse. The Y Canyon Ranch had their cattle in the Collins 
     Park Pasture which neighbors our Collins Park holding 
     pasture. All of the Collins Park area is easy open landscape. 
     It is because of the topography of the area that our 
     neighbors were finding wolf kill after wolf kill in their 
     cattle in which were confirmed wolf kills by the USDA Animal 
     & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Meanwhile all we 
     were finding in our Eagle Peak Pasture (very rough terrain) 
     was wolftracks, wolf scat with cow hair in it, and about six 
     tight bagged cows minus their calves. Another $3,000.00 worth 
     of calves lost. Adding all the topical signs up we knew what 
     was taking place; our new business's assets were literally 
     being eaten up by the wolves.
       As we started gathering the cattle off the mountain into 
     our Collins Park holding Pasture to brand and vaccinate the 
     calves, we were very nervous about moving them down to where 
     even more slaughter was taking place. So we were working as 
     fast as we could. After gathering everything we came up seven 
     cows short, and that was not counting the five cow carcasses 
     we had found in early March. So, that added another $4,600.00 
     more to our losses thus far.
       In mid June branding day at the Collins Park Corrals 
     revealed that we had sixteen

[[Page 17508]]

     calves to brand out of 91 cows. Out of those 16 calves there 
     were four that were injured. So we caught 2 of the calves and 
     had Richard Grabbe with APHIS (Note: APHIS works hand in hand 
     with USFWS Wolf Project) inspect the calves with us. Our 
     suspicions were confirmed, there were indeed wolf bites and 
     abrasions on the calves. Mr. Grabbe wrote a report on one of 
     the calves as to confirming a non lethal wolf attack. So, 
     here we were with 4 gimpy calves, two of which never fully 
     recovered from their injuries, costing us another $800.00. 
     (Note: understandably cattle buyers do not like to buy 
     crippled livestock.)
       During our spring `05 round up time, the USFWS Wolf people 
     had taken out (Captured, and removed, not killed) the female 
     and one yearling pup of the San Francisco Pack thinking this 
     would relieve the livestock massacres taking place in our 
     area. (Much to their (USFWS) dismay, the killings did not 
     stop.) Simultaneously, the USFWS Wolf People were trying to 
     catch the Ring Pack Male, so we figured if the Wolf Project 
     Folks would do that it would break up the killer packs even 
     more and perhaps we would see some relief in sight from the 
     livestock losses. Unfortunately, when John Oakleaf (the Wolf 
     Project field team leader) was asked what their plan was when 
     they caught the Ring Male, he told us that the male Rings 
     radio collar was not working and that they would re-collar 
     the animal and turn him loose. That's when we decided to 
     remove our 16 cow/calf pairs in an effort to save what calf 
     crop we had left. This was a hard decision to make because we 
     had such good feed and water right there on our own little V 
     Bar Ranch, after all that's what we bought it for. The extra 
     cost of a hauling expense and pasture rent of around $1500.00 
     seemed ridiculous, but we felt we had to salvage what we 
     could.
       The pasture we moved our cattle to was on the F Bar D 
     Ranch, 20 miles away, out of the Wolf Recovery area. It is 
     owned by our employer, Frank DalMolin. (We hold this job in 
     order to add income for improvements to our V Bar Ranch, so 
     that when we retire our small business would be up and 
     running.) Our safe pasture was to be short lived. Not even 
     one week later after our cows were barely settled into their 
     new pasture on the F Bar D, we found a F Bar D calf killed by 
     a wolf less than 250 yards away from the livestock drinker. 
     We were shocked, as the wolf people assured us when we 
     reported to them, that the lone wolf sighted, was a scavenger 
     and not a livestock killer and was probably just passing 
     through. The wolfs number was 859, and he stayed, killed, and 
     he dined on an F Bar D calf Here was a wolf in the private 
     land sector, out of the recovery range, killing. A loss to 
     our employer of around $700.00. Wolf #859 was trapped that 
     night off the kill and promptly removed, but only to be re-
     released in the very near future, the spring of 2006. We now 
     realize, that not only the businesses inside the wolf 
     recovery areas are being destroyed but we were seeing what 
     the future would hold for other businesses outside the MWBRR 
     project areas. All businesses in our rural areas will be 
     destroyed by this Wolf Project, because every business in a 
     rural area upholds one another financially. It will indeed 
     have a dominoe effect.
       In January of 2006 at our V Bar Ranch (Deadman Allotment), 
     we started the year off with a fat full grown cow (probably 
     heavy bred), found dead, stretched out across a boulder, 
     about 50 yards from our lick tub. It was a confirmed wolf 
     kill costing us yet another $1500.00. Mr. Grabbe with APHIS 
     set a trap and caught an uncollared male wolf. The MWBRR 
     Project protocol was to collar the wolf and turn the thief 
     loose to go about his wolfly business of killing. The newly 
     collared #1008 wolf was now on record. Since then we have 
     found the leg bone of a calf, 2 crippled calves, 1 crippled 
     bull, and 2 tight bagged cows missing their calves. Estimated 
     cost at this time is around $3700.00.
       With the new year starting off with more wolf depradation 
     we are reminded of what John Oakleaf, field personel with the 
     MWBRR Project told us, he said, according to his studies from 
     the wolf project in Idaho, for every wolf kill you find, 
     there are 8 more that you are not finding. With this in mind, 
     we realize our small business cannot sustain such financial 
     losses and we will be put out of business by the Mexican Wolf 
     Blue Range Reintroduction Project. We have spoken with a 
     realtor about selling the ranch and were told that because of 
     wolf problem we would not be able to market our place as a 
     viable working ranch. So, all we are left with is the 115 
     acres of private land worth an estimated $115,000.00. This 
     would leave us well over $140,000.00 short of our investment. 
     It would seem like a small amount for a lot of people, but to 
     us, this was our life savings and dream eaten up by the 
     Mexican Wolf Blue Range Recovery Project.
       In conclusion, the Mexican wolf introduction will make it 
     impossible for us to stay in business, to cover our 
     operational expenses into the next year, and it would 
     significantly restrict our ability to get loans. Unless there 
     is immediate relief from the actions by the FWS. We are being 
     denied our basic rights and liberties, including restraint of 
     trade and denial of pursuit of happiness.
           Submitted by,
                                            Jim and Sherri Haught,
     V Bar Ranch (Deadman Allotment) Owners.
                                  ____

                                              Dobson Family Farms,


                                      Sheep Springs Sheep Co.,

                                                     June 5, 2007.
     Hon. Steve Pearce,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Pearce: I recently received an email 
     that was forwarded us from Laura Schneberger, Winston, NM. In 
     the email, Laura asked for testimony on experiences related 
     to the Mexican Wolf Program. As an Arizona neighbor, we are 
     facing the same problems. I hope this letter and accompanying 
     documentation will help you in your battle to set things 
     right.
       On April 30th of this year, I visited Washington DC and was 
     able to meet with most of the Arizona legislators and discuss 
     several topics of concern with regard to the agriculture and 
     livestock issues facing our family business operation. Among 
     these topics of conversation was the reintroduction of the 
     Mexican wolf into Arizona and New Mexico.
       As I told the Arizona delegation, I firmly believe the 
     money being spent on this endeavor is not only a waste of 
     taxpayer's dollars, but will in fact make it impossible for 
     future generations to make a living raising livestock on the 
     forest grazing permits. I am 68 years old. It is my intention 
     to turn my livestock operation over to the 4th generation of 
     the Dobson family. However, if things continue as they are 
     now, the 4th generation of Dobsons will no longer be able to 
     raise livestock. Wolves are currently being reintroduced into 
     areas less than \3/4\ of a mile from our private property. 
     Cattle and sheep graze on this property during the summer in 
     our breeding season. The wolves, if they are allowed to 
     attack and kill our livestock, will prevent us from having a 
     normal breeding season.
       Enclosed is a current report from the U.S. Fish and 
     Wildlife Service who confirmed a sheep kill by a Mexican Wolf 
     on our private property. This is what we are up against if 
     the wolves are allowed to remain in the area.
       I have just this week sent this information to each of the 
     Arizona delegates and welcome your support in helping to 
     remove these wolves from our forest grazing permit. My family 
     and I greatly appreciate your assistance in this matter and 
     offer any assistance that we can provide to help you in New 
     Mexico.
           Respectively submitted,

                                             Dwayne E. Dobson,

                                          Sheep Springs Sheep Co.,
     Dobson and Dobson Livestock.
                                  ____

                                  Tuesday, June 05, 2007 9:30 A.M.
     Subject: FW: What has the wolf program cost you?
                                   Monday, June 04, 2007 5:32 P.M.
     Subject: Fwd: What has the wolf program cost you?
       Arizona needs to pitch in and tell our story too! Pass this 
     to your friends and neighbors who have been effected.
       Send a letter, your testimonial. Thanks, your true story is 
     needed.
                                                        Darcy Ely,
                                    Four Drag Ranch @ Eagle Creek.
     From: Laura
     To: Laura
                                        Mon, 4 Jun 2007 8: 17 a.m.
     Subject: What has the wolf program cost you?
       All, If you have had Mexican wolf experience, whether it is 
     related to livestock, recreation, personnel, or anything 
     relating to your home life or your children's and your own 
     well being, please write it out and send it via e-mail or 
     snail mail or fax, to Tim Charters at the above address. This 
     Must be done within the next two weeks.
       Congressman Pearce is collecting actual incidents that have 
     caused people to be affected by Mexican wolf program problems 
     in their day to day lives. This program and it's managers are 
     adept at sweeping things under the rug and downplaying the 
     seriousness of the problems on the ground. Therefore, Your 
     testimony is needed at the congressional level. Congressman 
     Pearce wants a stack of letters to support his actions.
       This is something that you can also help your neighbor do, 
     if your neighbors don't have internet, please please print 
     this and take it to them. Also, I have a lot of addresses, 
     but not every address of folks who have been impacted by this 
     program, so please call your neighbors and let them know 
     about this effort.
       It is vital that this is done and the hundreds of incidents 
     and wolf problems are in the congressman's hands as soon as 
     possible. Even if you have written it all out before, please 
     do it one more time. If you have any questions please contact 
     me.
                                                Laura Schneberger,
     Gila Livestock Growers Association.
                                  ____

                                  Tuesday, June 05, 2007 1:45 P.M.
     From: Mary Macnab.
     Subject: Mexican wolf crises.
       Dear Congressman Pearce: This wolf program will affect 
     every person in this country whether they have livestock, 
     hunt, or like to hike in the woods or not as it is yet 
     another illegal, treasonous act by a corrupt government 
     designed to dispossess the citizens of their property and 
     turn them into a nation of helpless victims.
       Supposedly we don't live in a country where the government 
     can do this to people.

[[Page 17509]]

     This country has a constitution which is sacred and the 
     highest law of the land and cannot be violated without 
     committing treason, the highest crime of a civil nature of 
     which one can be guilty. The Constitution simply does not 
     allow majority rule over the constitutionally protected 
     rights of others. This is the main point I wish to make 
     although the wolf (dog) program has affected people in Catron 
     County in many ways.
       We are watching our communities and our culture die. At 
     public meetings we see first hand the looks of glee on the 
     faces of the evil fascists who are perpetrating this 
     destruction.
       This all takes us back to the dark ages when people were 
     constantly under siege.
       Children are afraid to walk home from their bus stops. 
     Parents must now see that they are safely attended and safely 
     escorted both going and coming.
       What happened to our safety, peace, prosperity? This is 
     oppression! A war on the people!
           Sincerely,
                                                        Tom Macnab
     Catron County, NM.
                                  ____

                                     Monday, June 04, 2007 1:21 PM
     From: Jim Taylor.
     Subject: Wolf program cost.
       We are involved in a small mother-cow operation, and 
     fortunately are fairly well removed from the areas wolves 
     have been introduced to-however-we did sight a pair on our 
     property (17 miles east of T or C, NM) and this sighting was 
     confirmed by our neighbors to the east of us and all the way 
     south to the Cutter area.
       We reported this sighting to US fish and game--several 
     months later, one of their reps came by asking about the 
     sighting . . . as if they really cared. We attended one 
     ``wolf meeting'' in T or C--hosted by fish and game I guess. 
     Forest Svc, State fish and game, US fish&game, and some more 
     reps from other govt agencies there. I did some rough, 
     unqualified math in my head in relation to what all these 
     talking heads with the govt agencies were making (salaries, 
     expenses, transportation, etc) then added what their 
     employees (field grunts) were making--then the cost of 
     equipment, feed, medicine, etc, then the scariest part--what 
     their bosses (the politicians, lobbies, and other general 
     carpet baggers) were milking us (the tax paying public) for. 
     I stated to the chair of that meeting that I surely didn't 
     begrudge anybody employment, but I felt our tax dollars--and 
     their educations, could certainly be put to better use than 
     feeding a bunch of wild dogs. Seemed pretty darn silly to be 
     messing with obsolete evolution while we have so many socio-
     economic challenges in this country--(the homeless, the 
     hungry, the uninsured, just to scratch the surface). Instead 
     of feeding a wild dog, why not channel that money and all the 
     ``brain power'' these wolf activists and their lackeys 
     control to a very evident and more worthwhile endeavor. I 
     don't like the tax burden I carry, but if I've got to pay 
     those taxes, I hate to see them squandered on the wolves. 
     From where I sit, the whole program stinks--I think it's 
     about how many dollars the carpet bagging activists can 
     garner, and the wolves are no more than a vehicle for them to 
     reach that end. AND AT THE TAXPAYERS EXPENSE. I also believe 
     the wolf program is a poorly masked assault on the livestock 
     industry and possibly even conspires to a future land grab, 
     as ranchers are forced out of business. Sorry, but I cant 
     find much nice to say about the program.
                                                       Jim Taylor,
     Engle, NM.
                                  ____

                                    Monday, June 04, 2007 12:49 PM
     From: Frank Morris.
     Subject: The wolf in the yard.
       Sir: In 2005 I suffered a broken ankle and was home in a 
     cast. (No dramatic story here, I just fell over) on a March 
     morning at approximately 10 a.m. I heard both of my dogs 
     (ACDs) barking furiously on the front porch. struggling from 
     my chair I opened the front door. There, not ten yards away 
     was a Mexican wolf looking directly at me. The dogs nearly 
     knocked me over getting into the house. The wolf looked at me 
     for a full thirty seconds before turning and trotting away 
     absolutely unconcerned. The animal was a full grown adult 
     male and did not appear to be collared. It was in fact a 
     wolf, not a coyote. I know this not only from my observation 
     but also from my dogs reaction, typicly they run a single 
     coyote off the place.
       I live far outside the ``Wolf study area'' at the very 
     southern most point of the Gila approx. 7/10 of a mile north 
     of hwy.152 @ MM10 bordering Nat. Forest.
                                        Frank ``Two Jump'' Morris,
     Hanover, NM.
                                  ____

                                     Monday, June 04, 2007 2:23 PM
     Subject: Point of Cattle on San Carlos Apache Reservation.
       Dear Sir: We reported in the recent review that our cost 
     estimate on losses has been over $300,000.00 in cattle lost. 
     This was several years ago and just recently, we have reports 
     of 2 more cattle being killed by wolves. This has been 
     reported to FWS and hopefully we can get compensated for 
     these losses. Our reservation has 82% unemployment rate. Many 
     people do not work and Apaches have a host of social problems 
     from this cycle of poverty that we are in and the economic 
     harm caused by wolves eating our cattle herd compounds the 
     problem to a dispossessed people. Here an animal, through 
     federal policy, disposses us of income and causes economic 
     deprivation to Apaches on the reservation.
           Thanks,
                                                   Steve M. Titla,
     Globe, AZ.
                                  ____

                                             Friday, June 8, 2007.
     From: jwolkins.
     Subject: The Wolf Program.
       To Representative Stevan Pearce: We understand that you are 
     collecting incidents where citizens have encountered wolves, 
     since the reintroduction of the wolves into the Arizona-New 
     Mexico border area. We are ranchers on the Blue River, just 
     over the state line (Az. side). Since the outset of the 
     program, we have lost one pet dog to the wolves. However, we 
     have had several other unpleasant episodes with the wolves. 
     With the dog, it dragged into the yard with puncture wounds 
     in the hip and leg. The evening before there had been 3 
     wolves in our meadow by our barn. When I took the dog to the 
     vet, Dr. Duncan, he said the wounds were consistent with a 
     large canine attack. The dog had to be put down, but later 
     John Oakleaf (with the wolf program) went to look at the dog 
     and said it looked like it had been hit by a car! The dog had 
     no access to the highway so we knew that didn't happen! This 
     is how the wolf personnel always respond when a wolf is 
     implicated. We had the wolves chase our cows and calves in 
     the same meadow, but we always drove them off. Later, we 
     moved to a different ranch on the Blue River (partly because 
     of the wolf problems). At this ranch, all our cattle are 
     right near us and not on Public lands. So when the wolves 
     were dropped into the Blue and immediately started attacking 
     home-owners' dogs, etc. we knew we would soon have them at 
     the back door. Sure enough, three of them came and tried to 
     attack two of our dogs through the fence. Once again, we 
     drove them away, but now the fear is always there, that the 
     wolves will be back. The Aspen pack terrorized our close-knit 
     community for weeks, but the wolf program still insists that 
     they want to put 100 more wolves into the Blue. There is no 
     prey base here for the wolves, except cattle, horses, pets 
     and people. I have followed this program from its very 
     beginnings, and know that millions and millions of taxpayer 
     dollars have been spent, and to date, there are no more than 
     2 or 3 breeding pairs. In my estimation it has been a total 
     failure, and has hurt the economy of our ranching and tourist 
     industries very badly. I truly hope you can do something in 
     your office to help people that are in a lot of stress 
     because of this predator which should never have been put 
     into a populous area.
       Thank you for all your efforts.
                                  Mr. and Mrs. Derrill O. Wolkins,
     J Lazy W Ranch, Blue, AZ.
                                  ____



 Inherent Potential for PTSD Among Children Living in Areas Where the 
              Mexican Gray Wolf Is Being ``Reintroduced''

       In the spring of 1998 the Mexican Gray Wolf, who was on a 
     list of ``endangered species'', ``reintroduced'' into 
     ranching country in west-central New Mexico and east-central 
     Arizona. The wolves in question had been primarily breed and 
     ``hand raised'' in captivity. The species was most probably 
     ``endangered'' because the wolves had been systematically 
     eliminated, over a period of 150 years, by ranchers who were 
     settling the area and developing herds of beef cattle to 
     support themselves and their families. The cattle industry in 
     the west had become big business in the mid 1800s when, 
     during the civil war, the governments of both the North and 
     the South were buying beef to feed their armies.
       It was very apparent to the ranchers that wolves and cattle 
     aren't gregarious companions! It was also very apparent that 
     wolves were also NOT compatible with the normal activities of 
     ``family life'' within the ranching areas!
       Ranchin continued to be both a way of life and a profitable 
     business in the areas above described until the concept of 
     ``turning back the clock'' became popular.
       Americans are proud of their heritage. It is admirable to 
     want to remember the past and preserve species that played a 
     role in our lives. However, reintroducing wolves in the 
     Southwest is about as intelligent as it would be to 
     ``reintroduce'' smallpox!
       Within a few years it became very apparent to the 
     inhabitants of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico that 
     the ``reintroduction'' of the Mexican Gray Wolf was 
     contributing to the demise of their lifestyle and their 
     communities!
       Of paramount concern to the population was the effect of 
     the wolf ``reintroduction'' on the children in the region!
       As a Medical Doctor with a background in both Pediatrics 
     and Child Psychiatry, I was asked to meet with ranching 
     children and their families within the ``reintroduction'' 
     area to ascertain the psychological effects of the wolf 
     reintroduction program upon the children.
       I was able to compare the results of the parent 
     questionnaire which I had constructed for parents in the wolf 
     reintroduction area with questionnaires circulated to 
     ranching families in New Mexico and Arizona who do NOT reside 
     in ``Wolf'' country.

[[Page 17510]]

     This was made possible through the efforts of the Cattle 
     Growers Associations in New Mexico and Arizona, thus 
     obtaining a control group for evaluating my findings.
       In my study group each child was seen face to face and 
     personally interviewed by me between February 1 and March 15 
     of 2007. Children were seen either in the schools which they 
     attended or in their homes. Questionnaires were completed by 
     their parents.
       Weaknesses in this study include:
       1. The lack of ``random selection'' of subjects from the 
     wolf ``reintroduction'' area. (All the ranches in this area 
     had been visited by wolves.)
       2. Possibility of ``prejudice'' on the part of the author, 
     relative to her residence on a ranch within the 
     ``reintroduction'' area.
       3. The relatively small numbers in each group. It should be 
     noted that because the study involves ``ranching'' the total 
     population interviewed within the ``reintroduction'' area 
     includes at least 90 percent of all families with children 
     living on actual ``working ranches'' within the area.
       Results of the Study:
       To date questionnaire have been obtained from equal numbers 
     of children living on ranches in both the wolf 
     ``reintroduction'' area and the ranching areas of Arizona and 
     New Mexico where the Mexican Gray Wolf has NOT been 
     ``reintroduced''. Several returns were not calibrated because 
     of technical concerns (e.g.: reports about children 3 years 
     of age or less).
       Within the ``reintroduction'' area parents report that:
       93 percent of their children startle more easily (than 
     prior to the wolves arriving).
       87 percent of the children believe that the wolves are 
     presenting a danger to themselves or family members. [Due to 
     depredation of livestock and family pets, this IS a VERY 
     REALISTIC concern!!]
       80 percent of the children realize that they are HELPLESS 
     to control or stop the events they see occurring around them 
     because of wolves in proximity to their homes. One child 
     watched her horse attacked and killed in the barnyard. She 
     then ran up to the ranch house with one of the wolves in hot 
     pursuit!
       80 percent of children in the ``reintroduction'' area . . . 
     who previously slept in their own beds/bedrooms through the 
     night, now frequently get out of their beds during the night 
     and come into their parents' room, wanting to get in bed with 
     their parents.
       73 percent of the children awaken in the night crying or 
     screaming because of nightmares, not present prior to the 
     wolf ``reintroduction''.
       73 percent of parents state that they believe that the 
     ``wolf events'' which have occurred involving their children 
     have been very traumatic for the children.
       67 percent of parents whose children have been involved in 
     ``wolf events'' report that their children have ``become more 
     clinging.'' [Among the children who have NOT been exposed to 
     wolves (control group) 10 percent are reported to have 
     experienced recent traumatic events. None of these children 
     are reported to have become more clinging.]
       53 percent of the children who have experienced traumatic 
     events involving wolves now appear to be unable to remain 
     focused during activities which they participated in for age 
     appropriate lengths of times prior to their exposures to 
     wolves.
       None of the youngsters exposed to wolves are reputed to 
     have exhibited any of the symptoms described above prior to 
     their exposures to the Mexican Gray Wolf.
       It is definitely noteworthy that the behaviors/symptoms 
     described above constitute the major symptoms involved in the 
     diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
       None of these children are reported to have exhibited any 
     of the symptoms described above prior to the 
     ``reintroduction'' of the Mexican Gray Wolf in the area of 
     their homes.
       Questionnaires returned from ranches outside of the wolf 
     ``reintroduction'' area indicate that 40 percent of these 
     youngsters have ``experienced one or more recent traumatic 
     events NOT involving wolves''. 20% of these children have 
     recently developed a fear of snakes. 10 percent are having 
     trouble staying focused on events they were usually able to 
     stick with for age appropriate periods.
       Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a major psychiatric 
     illness. While it may exist ``short term'', and dissipate 
     when the precipitating factors (e.g.:--wolves) are removed, 
     the disorder frequently becomes permanent, and, occurring in 
     childhood it may impede the child's normal psychological 
     development. Certainly, ongoing exposure to the events which 
     led to the original symptoms can be expected to interfere 
     with development of a stable psychological outlook.
       The serious psychological problems currently being 
     expressed by children in the wolf ``reintroduction'' areas of 
     Arizona and New Mexico can best be addressed by the immediate 
     re-location of the offending wolf population!
       In researching the ``reintroduction'' project it is 
     apparent that the ranching families within the area were NOT 
     consulted prior to reintroduction of the wolves!
       As a physician who has dealt with children now for 50 
     years. I am convinced that concerns for the welfare of the 
     children involved MUST take precedence over any and all 
     concerns for the ``wolf project''!!!

                                           Julia Martin, M.D.,

                                                       Luce Ranch,
     Blue, AZ.
                                  ____

                                  Wednesday, June 13, 2007 1:51 PM
     From: Tom & Jeanie Hutchison.
     Subject: Mexican Grey Wolves.
       When the Aspen Wolf Pack was terrorizing the Blue River 
     residents, we had several incidences with them as they went 
     back and forth, many times, through our property. One 
     incident in particular sticks in my mind.
       It was early January and I was home alone. My husband's 
     mother had suffered a stroke and he was in Tucson to tend to 
     her. It had been raining and snowing quite a bit, and the 
     river was in quite a flood stage. All of my neighbors on this 
     end of the river were gone, and the flooded river made it 
     impossible for me to get out, or for anyone to come in. So 
     not only was I home alone, I could expect no outside 
     assistance if I should need it.
       I had not been sleeping well because of the constant wolf 
     harassment of our dogs and our small flock of Barbados Sheep. 
     The wolves would always come in in the middle of the night, 
     and thankfully, my dogs were a great ``early warning 
     system''. It was about 12:30 in the middle of the night when 
     I heard an awful dog fight right in my front yard. I jumped 
     out of bed and ran out the front door barefoot and in my 
     pajamas, and into the snow. I know that my dogs don't have a 
     chance against a wolf, but my brave dogs don't know that. As 
     I was running out the front door I started yelling . . . I 
     can't even tell you what I was yelling, only that I knew I 
     had to break up the fight and protect my dogs. The alpha pair 
     of the Aspen Pack were at my front gate, fighting with my 2 
     dogs through the wire fence. The wolves ran away to the north 
     toward my neighbor's home. One of my dogs had sustained a 
     bloody cut on the top of his nose, but that was all the 
     damage, that time. (Note: On another occasion, my dogs fought 
     with the Alpha male wolf through a back fence about 50 feet 
     from our back door, and just over the fence from my sheep. 
     That time, the same dog suffered some cuts to his muzzle. The 
     ``rag-box's'' battery had gone dead.)
       I came back into the house for a robe, slippers, 
     flashlight, wolf radio-collar monitor, and my shotgun with 
     ``cracker shells'' in it. I knew the falling snow would soon 
     fill the tracks, so I quickly went into the road to confirm 
     my sighting. Indeed, the two adult wolves had walked right 
     down the road in front of my home and confronted my dogs at 
     the gate, then ran on up the road when I went out. As I was 
     walking toward the pens behind my house to check on our 
     livestock, I heard the ``rag box'' that the Wolf Program 
     people had provided, begin to flash and sound off. This is a 
     battery-operated system that starts making lots of noise and 
     flashing lights whenever it picks up a radio-collar signal 
     from the collared wolves. They were so close to me that I 
     didn't even have the antenna on the radio receiver, and the 
     signal was coming through very loud and clear on my hand-held 
     radio. I knew the wolves had circled back and were coming in 
     on my sheep! I began to run again and started yelling and 
     shooting ``cracker shells'' into the dark. I heard their 
     radio-collar signal lessen and fade as they headed north 
     again.
       Needless to say, I came back into the house in a sorry 
     state. I'm in my 60's and far too old to be out chasing 
     wolves through the snow in the middle of a winter night. If 
     anything had happened to me, wolf-caused or not, I wouldn't 
     be here writing this story. I immediately phoned all the Wolf 
     Program people I had phone numbers for. One had the nerve to 
     ask me if I was SURE it was wolves!! Unless they've started 
     radio-collaring very large coyotes . . . yes, it was wolves . 
     . . two of them. Another asked me, well, what did I expect 
     them to do about it?? I suspect I singed his ear hairs with 
     my reply.
                                                   Jean Hutchison,
     Blue, AZ.
                                  ____

       Mr. Pearce: Few things relating to economic impacts on the 
     lake Roberts community, program issues I see (tip if the 
     iceberg) and the affects on my horses with 1 wolf showing up 
     on my property and the affects this had and will have on the 
     Lake Roberts community. The Lake Roberts community is bounded 
     on all sides by the Gila National Forest. Our community has a 
     general store and 4 lodging/hotels. All but one have recently 
     changed hands and are going through renovations. Additionally 
     our community has many retirees and horse ranchetts. The 
     majority of the families here have about 3 or 4 horses and 
     may from time to time have a foal. Our community is very 
     tourist based. People enjoy the lake, head to the cliff 
     dwellings, camp and enjoy the amazing beauty of this area. 
     This is a good community of good people. Everyone here 
     pitches in to help each other. We are all concerned here 
     about wolf impacts. Some people are concerned about speaking 
     up.
       I was at a meeting in Silver City this spring where FWS 
     admitted they do not have funding and personnel to properly 
     manage this program but are going to continue to expand. The 
     complaints I have heard and stories continue to horrify me. 
     The lack of investigation, destruction of evidence, bending

[[Page 17511]]

     of rules to suit the program mangers and truthful reporting 
     seems to be always in question.
       From a program management standpoint this program has been 
     mishandled on so many levels and I find it hard to believe 
     they are under funded and unable to handle the wolves they 
     have now. Yet they are going to expand. That is a RED Flag to 
     me.
       It also appears that they have trouble holding on to 
     quality personnel or have hired dysfunctional personnel or 
     that personnel are shifting between agencies and extreme 
     environmental groups. Not to forget the abuse and lack of 
     customer focus. The customers would be the people with the 
     people living with these wolves being the major customers. I 
     feel all the managers and the people working for them should 
     be focused on the people living with the program first and 
     the wolves second. That is not what has occurred.
       I am concerned about the attitudes of the high level wolf 
     managers when they say things like a kid being attacked and 
     killed by a wolf is no different than dieing on the highway . 
     . . we do not stop building highways. What? I see the need 
     for transportation and the safety that has been incorporated 
     into highways and cars and the necessity of travel and 
     transportation differently that the desire for having wolves 
     and the lack of safety considerations of the wolf personnel. 
     This bias of not considering or dismissing child safety very 
     concerning to me. I wonder if they discount my life just as 
     easily or the lives of my four legged family members.
       There is also a need transportation and a desire by some 
     for wolves both are not needs. Wolves are not needed in our 
     community of Lake Roberts and I am sure in other communities 
     in and around the Gila and AS National Forests. We function 
     just fine without wolves.
       I could go on here but the key is no oversight. Would you 
     fly in a plane that was not independently certified? Would 
     you feel that the airplane developers could be trusted or do 
     you think oversight would be necessary? I feel this program 
     as any that has safety implications should have independent 
     oversight. I also feel the wolf program has been run in a 
     very insensitive way for the people forced to live with the 
     program and writing that up could take pages.
       The things I see show signs of a very dysfunctional 
     organization in the wolf program.
       I do hope for additional funding for USDA wild life 
     services as it appears they are very under funded to do the 
     investigations necessary. The trails here in the forest are 
     also a mess, dangerous and in disrepair. It would have been 
     nice if the wolf program money had been put into a more 
     positive use where all could enjoy the forest.
       I with another local person, organize horse clinics where 
     people come from all over the west to attend. This has a very 
     positive economic impact on the Lake Roberts community as the 
     hotels are filled and meals and other local purchases on non 
     holiday weeks. We do 2 or 3 of these during the summer. 
     Usually June, July and August for more than a week each time. 
     If one wolf incident happens . . . and that would be as much 
     as a horse spooking or being unsettled these clinics will be 
     over. One howl and done forever!
       No one wants to come to a beautiful place to put their 
     horse in danger. These are also very expensive horses. The 
     thousands of dollars of positive economic impact to the 
     community will be lost. I worry now about all the horses when 
     they are here.
       I can also no longer take my dog on trail rides. He is very 
     sad and depressed about this as am I. My dog has been useful 
     to my safety in the past where he has assisted in running off 
     a bear and lion. Not bad for a little lab mix. I am concerned 
     when I am working my dressage horses in the arena and my dog 
     is not in sight that something bad might happen.
       I also breed my horses to expensive warmblood stallions and 
     the foals are often worth more that 7,000 when born. One wolf 
     accident and it is a full economic loss. Often you have to 
     feed the lame horse for the rest of its life. A horse costs 
     at a minimum $1200 to feed and for shots every year. When I 
     raise a foal it is one a year. A lot rides on one foal. This 
     is also true for my neighbors. We have lots of small horse 
     farms here and many of us raise only 1 foal a year. But is 
     more than economics . . . it is really about the loss of 
     safety and enjoyment of my property and the protection of my 
     four legged family members.
       While my wolf incident is very minor compared to others 
     they still have had an economic and safety concerns within my 
     family.
       After the millers horse ``Six'' was slaughtered. I asked to 
     be educated on how to live with wolves as Defenders say I 
     should. I grew up in Canada and thought I knew but I am 
     always willing to learn. This call was placed to Bruce 
     Thompson about the middle of January 2007. It is now June I 
     am yet to be educated on how to live with wolves. I have 
     directly asked Bruce Thompson head of NM Game and Fish 3 
     additional times even stating I would get other horse owners 
     in the area together. Still the only call I got was the call 
     I will describe below. I have asked 4 times to Bruce and 1 
     time to a NM game official. It is now June. My local Game and 
     Fish guy (not part of the wolf program and I think he feels 
     bad) says he is going to try and put something together for 
     me and others to help. He is a good guy and I am disgusted 
     with the rest.
       I also asked Bruce Thompson about oversight and other 
     issues with the program and he went into how that is not 
     needed and how FWS, AZDGF and NMGF all work together as one 
     big happy family. I feel with no independent oversight then 
     abuse will occur and it appears with this program that has 
     occurred.
       The end of January I did get a call from Saleen Richter 
     (not sure of spelling) from NM Game and Fish she made it 
     clear that she was busy and did I really want educated 
     because wolves would probably not be in Lake Roberts. She 
     went on to discredit the Millers and state how they lived way 
     out there and this is why they had had the wolf problem, and 
     that they leave their horses for weeks at a time. I 
     understand from the millers this is not so. She definitely 
     implied the Millers were not good people and implied they 
     were responsible for the wolf slaughtering their horse and 
     that she was busy there protecting the wolves from their 
     other horses. I said to her what about my injured horse that 
     cannot run as fast as the others, or my neighbors older horse 
     or my other neighbors lame horse or the foals . . . and that 
     often I am gone for weeks at a time on business and I have 
     someone caring for my horses does that make me a bad person? 
     She then made it clear in her implications that she did not 
     want to come out to educate me as to how to live with wolves. 
     All and all a very weird and unprofessional conversation with 
     this NM Game and Fish official and I am offended to be paying 
     for this program.
       Then on February 21, I left my home office to put my horses 
     in the barn for the night. I got to my horses and my dog 
     refused to leave the truck. I cannot remember when he has 
     ever not happy bounded out off the truck. My horses were 
     frantic and were racing around their paddock and nervously 
     looking up our mountain which borders with the national 
     forest. They had already run through the electric tape fence 
     that divides two of the paddocks. No horses were seriously 
     injured but my mare that is lame for life with a broken hip 
     did injure her hip again. I did have to administer pain 
     killers (butte) for about 1 week due to this re-injury.
       I opened the gate and the horses blasted towards the barn. 
     They never go in their stalls at night until they are clean 
     and hay is in their waiting for them. My one mare later left 
     her stall ran back past me to return to her corral and in my 
     presence kept stepping forward and nodding with her nose in 
     pointing type behavior looking up the mountain. I did not see 
     a wolf. My eyesight is bad and the mountain has lots of 
     vegetation. I think the wolf was about 100 yards up the hill 
     which is 20 feet from the edge my paddock fence.
       I then went to toss a lead rope over her neck and was 
     preparing to halter her when she blasted out (she never does 
     this) and back to the barn. She was covered in a sticky 
     panicky sweat and all my horses were very upset but did calm 
     down when I closed the barn doors. I could have been injured 
     with my mare's serious panic and was lucky that I did not get 
     run over by a 1000 horse.
       Horses are prey animals and usually do not like to be 
     confined but on this day they felt their barn was the safest 
     place for them. I found this very interesting and had not 
     experienced this behavior before. Maybe this is why the 
     Millers horse Six ran to his corral . . . he was so panicked 
     he thought it was the only safe place for him. My horses like 
     their barn but often they enjoy being out even in the worst 
     weather.
       For the next few weeks not only were they more on edge and 
     looking up the mountain constantly. One horse was always more 
     on watch more than normal. They also lost weight for two 
     weeks and were not eating well during the day when turned 
     out. My horses were not rideable for a week and I even 
     canceled going to a small show (no entry fees lost) due to 
     their upset.
       For over a month when my horses were let out of the barn in 
     the morning they walk to the main door and look up the 
     mountain and cautious step out of the barn. In the past they 
     would be let loose from their stalls and confidently trot out 
     of the barn never even looking.
       It is summer now and my horses are still in the barn at 
     night. This is extra expense of shavings of over $100 per 
     month. I will be spending 800 more dollars this year on 
     shavings. Also the time to clean the stalls which is more 
     time consuming that cleaning paddocks.
       My fencing has to be repaired at a cost of $175 due to this 
     wolf panicking my horses. I can easily see this wolf program 
     is costing me more than $1000 per year not to mention the 
     time expenditure. I do not feel I am getting any benefit from 
     this program only a huge headache and I am not even in a 
     constant wolf impact area like Reserve and Winston New 
     Mexico.
       I need to treat the wood in my barn again and make various 
     repairs. I do need to leave the horses out but I am in fear 
     of if that is the night that the wolves come through again? 
     Will I need to board them somewhere again at an additional 
     cost and gas expense.
       I can also no longer take 2 horses out leaving one at home 
     without putting that horse

[[Page 17512]]

     in the barn. Where as before my horse would remain at home 
     calmly and eating now they are unhappy, pacing in the stall 
     and not eating. This might seem minor but there has been a 
     major shift in how I work with my horses.
       On this day that the horses were upset saw and heard the 
     wolf plane. It is a rarer sighting here . . . and never a 
     good thing to see either. It circled south of my home which 
     is south of Sapillo Creek. The flight report for that day 
     shows the wolf was north of sapillo creek based on the 
     locations given. I did not observe this plane circling north 
     . . . while it could have also I find in interesting that a 
     few hours later there was a wolf on my place.
       My horses have seen lion and bear . . . even ridden up on 
     them on the trail. The fear level and panic with this 
     predator was different. When a lion is around the horses will 
     be a bit bothered and I call on of the outfitters and let 
     them know something is around. The predator usually ends up 
     leaving one way or another. Having the right to treat the 
     wolf like the lion and the bear would a helpful start as 
     wolves should not be hanging around my place.
       I do worry about the direction of this program and I 
     consider the majority of these wolves very habituated. I am 
     very concerned about children and the people that come out 
     here to camp and trail ride. The tourists that come here want 
     to be safe and have fun. The hunters here (I am not a hunter 
     nor is my family) also have a very positive impact on the 
     communities. I benefit by these business being located in my 
     community. They are a positive economic impact to the 
     communities. I have not yet met one person at the local 
     restaurants or that has stopped to ask directions that were 
     here to see wolves. If they asked about dangerous wildlife 
     they are nervous at the idea of lions let alone wolves.
       Thanks again for your time and understanding my story here. 
     I know it was a bit long winded but I wanted you to 
     understand the impact that appears so small is really pretty 
     big.
                                                       Barb Dawdy.


                         THE WOLF AT THE DOOR!

       Here's one of those stories as told by Michele White, a 
     friend of Brittney's:
       On November 30, 2004, about 8:00 P.M., Brittney Joy and I 
     (Michele White) were sitting in the family room watching TV 
     and we heard one of the dogs, named Tessa, pawing at the 
     door. Then, what we thought was a dog fight was the sound of 
     something much more. Brittney and I ran to the back door and 
     opened it quickly to realize that it was not two dogs 
     fighting, but was a big wolf standing five feet from the door 
     opening. The wolf jumped on the one dog named Tessa, which is 
     five years of age. While we were yelling at the dogs and 
     motioning her inside, the older dog, named Angel, which is 7 
     years of age, jumped and hit the wolf with her chest. Once 
     the wolf was off Tessa, it started to run the opposite 
     direction which the two dogs followed. Then the wolf turned 
     around and headed toward the house chasing the two dogs. We 
     then slightly closed the door in fear that it would run 
     inside, but the wolf stopped about ten feet from the door and 
     went the other direction. The one dog, Tessa, came in the 
     house and we lost sight of the other dog, Angel, as she was 
     still chasing the wolf. We called and called, and at this 
     point Cassie Joy, Brittney's mother, who was just getting out 
     of the shower when the incident took place, ran out the other 
     door with her pistol. She was wet, barefoot, and in her 
     pajamas. She fired four shots in the air. When Cassie came 
     back in the house, is when Angel came back. Both dogs are 
     spayed females.
       Cassie came back in for another gun and a flashlight, plus 
     shoes and a jacket. Then she went out to the corrals, making 
     sure the mare and foal were all right. At this point, Dale 
     Beddow joined her and they came back to the house to use the 
     tracker. This tracker was loaned to them by the wolf office 
     in Alpine because members of the Aspen wolf pack had 
     previously been frequenting the Joy's home and had attacked 
     two of their other dogs in October. (Reported and verified in 
     the Field Notes.--Barbara Marks).
       They received no signal and Brittney told them she saw the 
     wolf heading up Bush Creek, so they went back out to haze the 
     wolf away. They found the wolf about 250 yards away. It 
     turned and ran up the hill. They searched for about 20 
     minutes and couldn't find the wolf, so they fired the gun 
     three times in the air, then returned home.
       During this time, Cassie's other daughter, Dustie, was 
     trying to calm her sister down and then made phone calls to 
     get phone numbers of wolf office staff.
       There was a foul smell on the one dog, Tessa. It was so bad 
     that we had to put them outside again. At this point, we 
     called Shawn Farry who is in charge of the wolf activity. 
     Cassie told him everything that had happened and he told her 
     he would call Shawna Nelson who was on duty at the time to 
     come right up and investigate.
       Approximately 30 minutes after the initial report of the 
     incident, Shawna and Valerie of the ``wolf patrol'' arrived. 
     Shawna then proceeded to inquire about the incident. The 
     residents at the Joy household told Shawna the story that is 
     in the first part of this paper. Shawna then asked if the 
     Joys were sure that the animal that attacked their dogs and 
     invaded their home was a wolf or ``just a common coyote''. 
     They were sure it was a wolf, but did not see a radio collar 
     on it. When they told Shawna about the foul smell on Tess, 
     Shawna smelled the dog. She said no foul odor was identified. 
     No investigation of the surrounding area was done at this 
     point. The 2 women went up Red Hill Road (Forest Road 567) to 
     see if they could get a signal on any of the radio collared 
     wolves.
       Cassie then made a call to John Oakleaf of the U.S. Fish 
     and Wildlife Service on her neighbor's suggestion to confirm 
     that a report would be filed. After conveying to him the 
     incident that occurred, he told Cassie that it could have 
     been one of the uncollared wolves that had invaded their 
     privacy. He would have Shawna and Valerie return to the Joy 
     residence to fire off some `cracker' shells to try and avoid 
     another conflict, which they did.
       The following morning, at about 8:00 A.M., Cassie observed 
     the wolf running across an opening up Bush Creek about two 
     hundred fifty yards from their residence and livestock. Jimmy 
     Joy and their neighbor went to investigate. After a short 
     investigation, fresh wolf tracks were found close to where 
     the sighting had occurred. Cassie then called Shawna to 
     report another wolf sighting within sight of their home. 
     About one full hour later, Valerie came to the Joys to now 
     investigate. Cassie then showed Valerie the wolf tracks that 
     were found earlier, and where the sighting had occurred. 
     Valerie could not find the tracks at first. Valerie told 
     Cassie that she thought that the wolf in question was the 
     uncollared male pup from the Aspen pack. Upon returning to 
     the house, Tessa was spotted napping in the sun. At this 
     point, Valerie then confessed to Cassie that the foul smell 
     that Cassie had pointed out the night before was obvious. She 
     also said it came from scent glands wolves have. Cassie asked 
     Valerie if they could come back and fire off some more 
     `cracker' shells because she thought that the wolf was still 
     nearby.
       That evening, Shawna and Valerie returned to perform a 
     short investigation. That evening, Shawna returned to take a 
     written report.
                                  ____

                                                    June 13, 2007.
       Mr. Pearce: We would like to justify why our 13 year old 
     daughter, Micha Miller has to carry a firearm everytime she 
     steps outside. It is because the Durango Pack has been in our 
     yard four times in five weeks, within feet of our door two 
     times & the other two times they have been within 70 yards of 
     the house. That is a little too close for comfort & Micha 
     needs a way too protect herself when she's outside. Micha is 
     very capable of handling a pistol or any other firearm, for 
     that matter, extremely safely. She has taken her Hunter's 
     Safety & passed with a 98%, she has also been around firearms 
     all her life & enjoys hunting. I can honestly say she is 
     safer carring a weapon than she is walking out of the house 
     without it because of the habituated Durango Pack.
       The Pack was released the last of April & they were in our 
     yard on the 1st of May. The Wolf Recovery Program released 
     them at Miller Springs about 40 miles south of our house & 
     they were here on the ranch in two days. The reason they came 
     up here is because AF924 was in our yard multiple time from 
     September 2006 until November 2006 when she was captured & 
     her mate was shot for 3 depredations. AF924 still has 2 
     depredation strikes against her as does her new mate AM973.
       We are not ranch owners, but we have lived & worked on the 
     Adobe Ranch for 9 years, this is our home. My husband, Mike 
     Miller, takes care of about 500 head of mother cows on about 
     100 square miles. He has to check one pasture twice a day to 
     make sure the Durango Pack has not killed a cow or calf, as 
     the Pack is denned up in the middle of it. The cattle may not 
     be Mike's but he is in charge of taking care of them & has to 
     answer to the manager of the ranch if anything happens to 
     them. Mike's hands are tied when dealing with the Wolf 
     Recovery people directly.
       When we were kids we didn't have to worry about carrying 
     firearms or anything stalking us, we could just enjoy being 
     kids. Our daughter & the other kids in the Recovery area 
     don't have that privilege. They have to watch over their 
     shoulders & stay close to their homes & not venture out to 
     explore their own backyards. The fear of having a wolf attack 
     them is so great that they can't have fun anymore. It is 
     unfair to our kids what the Wolf Program & Bill Richardson 
     has done to them!! They have made our kids prisoners in their 
     own homes! They need to be told ``The wolves are NOT more 
     important than our children's lives & well being!!!'' What 
     I'm afraid of is one of our children getting seriously hurt 
     or even killed before the program & Richardson will open 
     their eyes to how wrong this whole program is.
       The Durango Pack are not the only wolves close to our home. 
     There is a black collared wolf that John Oakleaf, with the 
     wolf program, claims to know nothing about. They say they 
     don't have a black wolf. We are not the only one's to have 
     seen it, two neighbors have also seen it. This isn't the 
     first time we've heard that they don't have a certain

[[Page 17513]]

     wolf. We had a real light colored wolf in our yard & Dan 
     Stark, another with the wolf program said to us & I quote, 
     ``That's not one of our wolves!'' There are more wolves out 
     there than the Wolf Program is admitting.
       The wolf program people are supposed to be watching this 
     Durango Pack to keep them out of our yard. When the workers 
     are out here they are sneaking around, they go by the house & 
     turn around just over the hill from the house or sometimes in 
     the driveway, then drive away real fast thinking no one has 
     seen them, instead of coming up to the house & letting us 
     know if the wolves are in the vicinity or if we might have 
     information that could help them track the wolves.
       The Durango Pack has totally disrupted our lives! The 
     things we did without worry, like working in the yard or 
     mowing the grass, we now have to be armed & very aware of our 
     surroundings. The Durango Pack are not ``problem'' wolves or 
     ``nusance'' wolves, they are habitual wolves. They will not 
     stop coming up into yards & hanging around people no matter 
     how many times they are captured & re-released. The only way 
     to stop a habitual wolf is to permanently remove them by any 
     means necessary!
       Thank you, Mr. Pearce, for informing everyone that the Wolf 
     Program is not as wonderful as the Program wants them to 
     believe. We appreciate your concern about the families in the 
     Recovery Area. Thank you for all your help.
           Sincerely,
     Mike, Debbie, & Micha Miller.
                                  ____



                               New Mexico Wool, Growers, Inc.,

                                                    June 15, 2007.
     Hon. Steve Pearce,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Pearce: We are writing to you today on 
     behalf of the membership of the New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc. 
     the state's oldest livestock trade organization, in reference 
     to the Mexican wolf reintroduction program. First we would 
     like to thank you for everything you and your staff have 
     already done on this issue. There is no question that you are 
     committed to your New Mexico constituents and the livestock 
     industry. With all that you have already done we know that 
     you understand the pain, anguish and loss that has and is 
     being suffered here in New Mexico.
       We are seeing that folks have become hopeless in the face 
     of a predator placed in their midst by their own government. 
     That our government has been unwilling or unable to address 
     the needs of the citizens whose lives they are destroying. It 
     is not sensationalism to point out that children are not even 
     safe in their own yards or in walking back and forth from 
     their homes to the school bus. Life in America has changed 
     since the introduction of this program and children and 
     families should not have to be afraid to go outside. With 
     that said, we are writing to once again ask you to do 
     whatever you can to reduce the impact of the program on 
     children and families as well as livestock and pet owners in 
     the recovery area.
       The public has been mislead for nearly a decade with the 
     theory that no one is suffering losses at the mouths of 
     wolves and that if there are losses they are being amply 
     compensated. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any 
     paltry compensation is not coming from the government that 
     caused the loss, nor does it begin to cover the costs to 
     private property owners. Furthermore, there is no way to put 
     a monetary value on human pain and suffering. Americans 
     deserve to feel safe and they deserve to be paid for what the 
     government has so willingly taken from them.
       The Mexican wolf program is termed ``experimental and non-
     essential.'' There is ample documentation that the experiment 
     has failed and it must be terminated. There are wolves in the 
     country and they need to be allowed to survive, or not, on 
     their own. Families and property owners must have the ability 
     to protect themselves without fear of fine or prison.
       In the early years as settlers moved west, the prey base 
     was limited and wolves turned to what was available--
     livestock. That holds true today under the conditions we are 
     experiencing, but livestock is not the only prey, pets, 
     children and families are part of the prey today.
       There appear to be only two options for the program at this 
     point. One is to totally withdraw funding and let the animals 
     compete for survival just as other wildlife must do. The 
     other is for the government to come up with an appropriation 
     to cover the very real costs of the program on the people who 
     are forced to live with these government owned and managed 
     killing machines every day.
       Once again we are thankful for all your work on this and 
     other issues. If we can be of service to you, please do not 
     hesitate to contact us.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Mike Corn,
     President.
                                  ____



                             New Mexico Federal Lands Council,

                                       Roswell, NM, June 15, 2007.
     Hon. Steve Pearce,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Pearce: We are writing to you today on 
     behalf of the membership of the New Mexico Federal Lands 
     Council, which represents ranchers who utilize federal and 
     state lands. This letter is in reference to the Mexican wolf 
     reintroduction program. We are very fortunate that you 
     understand the pain, anguish and loss that has and is being 
     suffered here in New Mexico. Your commitment to your 
     constituents and the ranching industry has been a great 
     attribute in dealing with this program. Thank you to you and 
     your staff for the interest you have shown and the assistance 
     that you have already given.
       Life in New Mexico has changed since the start of the 
     Mexican wolf reintroduction program. Residents in parts of 
     New Mexico are not safe to let their children go outside in 
     the yard to play or even to walk to the bus stop from their 
     home. This is truly a tragedy. We are seeing that folks have 
     become hopeless in the face of a predator placed in their 
     midst by their own government. That our government has been 
     unwilling or unable to address the needs of the citizens 
     whose lives they are destroying. With that said, we are 
     writing to once again ask you to do whatever you can to 
     reduce the impact of the program on children and families as 
     well as livestock and pet owners in the recovery area.
       For nearly a decade the public has been misled with the 
     theory that no one is suffering losses at the mouths of 
     wolves and that if there are losses they are being amply 
     compensated. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any 
     paltry compensation is not coming from the government that 
     caused the loss, nor does it begin to cover the costs to 
     private property owners. Additionally, there is no way to put 
     a monetary value on human pain and suffering. Americans 
     deserve to feel safe and they deserve to be paid for what the 
     government has so willingly taken from them.
       The Mexican wolf program is termed ``experimental and non-
     essential.'' There is ample documentation that the experiment 
     has failed and it must be terminated. There are wolves in the 
     country and they need to be allowed to survive, or not, on 
     their own. Families and property owners must have the ability 
     to protect themselves without fear of fine or prison.
       When people started settling in the west, the prey base was 
     limited and wolves turned to what was available--livestock. 
     That holds true today under the conditions we are 
     experiencing, but livestock is not the only prey pets, 
     children and families are part of the prey today.
       There appear to be only two options for the program at this 
     point. One is to totally withdraw funding and let the animals 
     compete for survival just as other wildlife must do. The 
     other is for the government to come up with an appropriation 
     to cover the very real costs of the program on the people who 
     are forced to live with these government owned and managed 
     killing machines every day.
       Once again we are thankful for all your work on this and 
     other issues. If we can be of service to you, please do not 
     hesitate to contact us.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Mike Casabonne,
     President.
                                  ____

                                  Monday, June 25, 2007 11:00 a.m.
     From: Robert Flowers
     To: Charters, Tim.
     Subject: WOLF ENCOUNTER.
       In Sept. 06 bow elk hunt I was hunting with a freind in the 
     upper edge of 16c. The opening morning the bulls were 
     sounding off and very close to camp. We stalked the herd for 
     several hours until they got down into lower, open country. 
     That night we caught them going back to higher ground. We 
     could not catch up with them and noticed some very large, 
     fresh ``k-9'' tracks. The next morning we expected to 
     intercept the herd in the same area, but not a bugle one. We 
     decided to go up higher ground to find them. We drove on a 
     road that skirted the adobe and follwed it into a creek that 
     washed the road out. We then walk to the bottom of the draw 
     to look for sign. We found sign!!! A freshly killed calf elk. 
     Blood was still wet and the carcas warm. We found large, 
     fresh ``k-9'' tracks, and long strands of grey hair in the 
     brush. We must have run the wolves of the kill. Needless to 
     say we saw, nor heard any more elk the remainder of the hunt.
                                                Robert D. Flowers,
     Dexter, NM.
                                  ____

                                 Wednesday, May 30, 2007 2:23 p.m.
     From: Jeannie Jones.
     Subject: Hello Wolf!!
       As I was in the yard cleaning out a pickup a WOLF caming 
     trotting thru the meadow! I ran for a camera and binoculars 
     (for the collar). He crossed to the road and disappeared. NO 
     picture.
       It looked like it might have had a collar but not for sure.
       So much for them laying around in the heat of the day! The 
     time was exactly 1:30 PM and it was 78 degrees.
       Guess the poor thing was hungry and hunting for the next 
     innocent thing to kill or cripple.
       May 29, 2007.

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

[[Page 17514]]

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DICKS. The restoration of wolves in the United States is a 
conservation success story. Wolves in the Great Plains and the Northern 
Rockies have made a dramatic comeback.
  Mr. PEARCE. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DICKS. I will not yield. The gentleman had his 5 minutes. I am 
going to take my 5 minutes.
  Mr. PEARCE. I thank the gentleman, who has no wolves in his district.
  Mr. DICKS. And we need to let the Mexican wolf population have the 
same chance.
  There is no doubt that there have been problems with the 
reintroduction, but we cannot cancel the entire program because of 
these isolated problems. There are programs in place that compensate 
livestock operators when wolves prey upon their stock. I am in favor of 
working to streamline and expand these programs. I am also in favor of 
pushing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work more closely with 
the affected livestock operators.
  Finally, I believe we cannot interfere with the Endangered Species 
Act, and that's what the gentleman is attempting to do here. His 
amendment would overturn the Endangered Species Act, something that we 
have never done on this House floor that I can remember, and I don't 
think we should start today.
  I have experience with the Red Wolf Program at Point Defiance Zoo in 
the State of Washington where we regenerated the population, and then 
we introduced them into North Carolina. That program has worked very 
successfully. We have wolves in Alaska. We have wolves in Canada. There 
were wolves in New Mexico. And this is part of nature.
  I think the gentleman is completely overreacting to this. I urge him 
to withdraw his amendment and not to try to overturn the Endangered 
Species Act here on the floor of the House.
  I urge all my colleagues to vote strongly against this ill-considered 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman from Washington continue to 
reserve his point of order?
  Mr. DICKS. I withdraw my point of order.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman withdraws his point of order.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Chairman, there are really two ways to proliferate 
wolves, one is in the wild, where they respect their distance from 
humans, and the other is in captivity, where they have no respect for 
humans. The Mexican wolves have been propagated and proliferated in 
captivity, and as a result, they encroach into areas that put humans at 
risk.
  I think the gentleman from New Mexico has brought up a valid concern 
because these isolated problems are now coming home to people who live 
in this area and having to carry firearms with them everywhere they go.
  I would like to yield to the gentleman from New Mexico to let him 
complete his point.
  Mr. PEARCE. I would thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Recently, in Catron County, the local county commissioner started 
posting signs like this, ``Dangerous Wolf Area.'' It just is a 
continuation of the theme that we're trying to accomplish something in 
the Second District of New Mexico that you're not willing to accomplish 
in your own districts.
  I will tell you that we heard testimony in the Resources Committee 
that described the most provocative sound to a wolf is a crying baby or 
a laughing baby. It's a matter of time until these wolves, which will 
stalk for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time around local homes, it's 
a matter of time until a wolf catches one of these children. Their 
blood will be on your hands, my friend, because we've had the testimony 
in committee.
  I would say that this has nothing to do with endangered species but 
instead has to do with protecting the lives of the people and the 
livestock of the Second District.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to have a ruling from the Chair 
whether the gentleman's comments about blood on my hands is a violation 
of the House Rules.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman demand the gentleman from New 
Mexico's words be taken down?
  Mr. DICKS. Yes, I do.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will suspend.
  The Clerk will read the gentleman's words.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent to withdraw 
my words.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. PEARCE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  We again have the issue of depredation. There is no fund that pays 
ranchers when their livestock is killed. So we have the livestock, 
which in these days of ranching, ranching is a very hard business, and 
we have the livestock which is killed by these predators that continue 
to eliminate more and more livestock each year, with no payments being 
made from Fish and Wildlife Service.
  I would simply point out, and I would thank the gentleman from Kansas 
for yielding, that this program is restricted to only two very rural 
parts of America. It is wrong; it is wrongheaded.
  I would thank the gentleman from Washington for his suggestion to 
withdraw the amendment but would instead ask for a vote on the 
amendment.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Mexico 
will be postponed.


          Amendment No. 19 Offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 19 offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:

                TITLE VI--ADDITIONAL GENERAL PROVISIONS

       Sec.    . None of the funds made available in this Act may 
     be used to limit outreach programs administered by the 
     Smithsonian Institution.

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and a Member opposed each will 
control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me again offer my 
appreciation to the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member 
of the subcommittee for the courtesies of both of their staff.
  This amendment was offered last year. It is a continued commitment I 
have to the Smithsonian and the value of its programs and outreaching 
across America.
  My amendment is simple, and it simply has the Congress on record to 
encourage and not limit outreach programs administered by the 
Smithsonian Institution, as I indicated, an identical amendment that 
was offered last year.
  What are these outreach programs? These outreach programs involve 
reaching out to communities, African American communities, Asian 
American communities, Latino communities, Native American communities, 
and yes, New Americana. It is a program dealing with Kindergarten

[[Page 17515]]

through college age museum education outreach opportunities. It 
enhances the K-12 science education programs and facilitates the 
Smithsonian's scholarly interactions with students and scholars at 
universities. Some would say that it brings the scholars of America out 
of the attics of America.
  In addition, it has a program called the Mobile Museum, an exhibit 
that can visit up to three venues per week in the course of only 1 
year, at no cost to the host institution or community. The net result 
is an increase by 150 the number of outreach locations to which SITES 
shows can travel annually. And in addition, through its flexibility in 
making short-term stops in cities and towns from coast to coast, a 
mobile museum has the advantage of being able to frequent the very 
locations where people live and work.
  I believe America is a great country. We have a very rich history, 
and that history sometimes is lost because of the lack of technical 
assistance and education of our community. For example, may I share 
with my colleagues, the community in Houston called Freedmen's Town? It 
is a community that was settled by freed slaves. It now has a few 
remaining structures after urban revitalization. Part of the complexity 
of it is a lack of education, understanding of the value. Artifacts, 
museums, preservation, all of that is part of the work of the 
Smithsonian outreach that educates the community about the precious 
jewels that they have. Cobblestone streets that were laid by slaves, 
churches that were built by slaves, and a variety of other facilities, 
like an old school that was attended by freed slaves.
  The Smithsonian's outreach program educates us about our history, 
provides mobile museums, connects America, connects us to this fabulous 
and extensive museum's holdings of the Nation's history by visual 
scenes. And so I would ask my colleagues to consider the importance of 
reaffirming, if you will, the value of the outreach program of the 
Smithsonian.
  Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of 
my amendment to H.R. 2643 the Interior and Environment Appropriations 
Act of 2008 and to commend Chairman Dicks and Ranking Member Tiahrt for 
their leadership in shepherding this bill through the legislative 
process. Among other agencies, this legislation funds the Smithsonian 
Institution, which operates our national museums, including the Air and 
Space Museum; the Museum of African Art; the Museum of the American 
Indian; and the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian also 
operates another national treasure: the National Zoo.
  Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple but it sends a very important 
message from the Congress of the United States. My amendment provides 
that none of the funds made available in this act be used to limit 
outreach programs administered by the Smithsonian Institution. An 
identical amendment was offered to last year's appropriations bill, 
H.R. 5386, and was adopted by voice vote.
  Mr. Chairman, the Smithsonian's outreach programs bring Smithsonian 
scholars in art, history, and science out of ``the nation's attic'' and 
into their own backyard. Each year, millions of Americans visit the 
Smithsonian in Washington, DC. But in order to fulfill the 
Smithsonian's mission, ``the increase and diffusion of knowledge,'' the 
Smithsonian seeks to serve an even greater audience by bringing the 
Smithsonian to enclaves of communities who otherwise would be deprived 
of the vast amount of cultural history offered by the Smithsonian.
  The Smithsonian's outreach programs serve millions of Americans, 
thousands of communities, and hundreds of institutions in all 50 
States, through loans of objects, traveling exhibitions, and sharing of 
educational resources via publications, lectures and presentations, 
training programs, and websites. Smithsonian outreach programs work in 
close cooperation with Smithsonian museums and research centers, as 
well as with 144 affiliate institutions and others across the Nation.
  The Smithsonian's outreach activities support community-based 
cultural and educational organizations around the country; ensure a 
vital, recurring, and high-impact Smithsonian presence in all 50 States 
through the provision of traveling exhibitions and a network of 
affiliations; increase connections between the Institution and targeted 
audiences (African American, Asian American, Latino, and native 
American, and all of America); provide kindergarten through college-
aged museum education and outreach opportunities; enhance K-12 science 
education programs; facilitate the Smithsonian's scholarly interactions 
with students and scholars at universities, museums, and other research 
institutions; and publish and disseminate results related to the 
research and collections strengths of the Institution.
  The programs that provide the critical mass of Smithsonian outreach 
activity are: the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service 
(SITES), the Smithsonian Affiliations, the Smithsonian Center for 
Education and Museum Studies (SCEMS), National Science Resources Center 
(NSRC), the Smithsonian Institution Press (SIP), the Office of 
Fellowships (OF) and the Smithsonian Associates (TSA), which receives 
no federal funding.
  To achieve the goal of increasing public engagement, SITES directs 
some of its federal resources to develop Smithsonian Across America: A 
Celebration of National Pride. This ``mobile museum,'' which will 
feature Smithsonian artifacts from the most iconic (Presidential 
portraits, historic American flags, Civil War records, astronaut 
uniforms, etc.) to the simplest items of everyday life (family quilts, 
prairie schoolhouse furnishings, historic lunch boxes, multilingual 
store front and street signs, etc.), has been a long-standing 
organizational priority of the Smithsonian.
  SITES ``mobile museum'' is the only traveling exhibit format able to 
guarantee audience growth and expanded geographic distribution during 
sustained periods of economic retrenchment, but also because it is 
imperative for the many exhibitors nationwide who are struggling 
financially yet eager to participate in Smithsonian outreach. As 
economic downturn and uncertainty continue to erode the ability of 
museums to present temporary exhibitions, the ``mobile museum'' 
promises to answer an ever-growing demand for Smithsonian shows in the 
field. A single, conventional SITES exhibit can reach a maximum of 12 
locations over a 2- to 3-year period.
  In contrast, a ``mobile museum'' exhibit can visit up to three venues 
per week in the course of only 1 year, at no cost to the host 
institution or community. The net result is an increase by 150 in the 
number of outreach locations to which SITES shows can travel annually. 
And in addition to its flexibility in making short-term stops in cities 
and towns from coast-to-coast, a ``mobile museum'' has the advantage of 
being able to frequent the very locations where people live, work, and 
take part in leisure time activities. By establishing an exhibit 
presence in settings like these, SITES will not only increase its 
annual visitor participation by 1 million, but also advance a key 
Smithsonian performance objective: to develop exhibit approaches that 
address diverse audiences, including population groups not always 
affiliated with mainstream cultural institutions.
  SITES also will be the public exhibitions' face of the Smithsonian's 
National Museum of Mrican American History and Culture, as the planning 
for that new Museum gets under way. Providing national access to 
projects that will introduce the American public to the Museum's 
mission, SITES in FY 2008 will tour such stirring exhibitions as NASA 
ART: 50 Years of Exploration; 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott 
Story; Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes; The Way We Worked: 
Photographs from the National Archives; and More Than Words: 
Illustrated Letters from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.
  To meet the growing demand among smaller community and ethnic museums 
for an exhibition celebrating the Latino experience, SITES will issue a 
scaled-down version of the National Museum of American History's 4,000-
square-foot exhibition about legendary entertainer Celia Cruz. Two 
1,500-square-foot exhibitions, one about Crow Indian history and the 
other on basket traditions, will give Smithsonian visitors beyond 
Washington a taste of the Institution's critically acclaimed National 
Museum of the American Indian. Two more exhibits, In Plane View and 
Earth from Space, will provide visitors in the field with a taste of 
the Smithsonian's recently opened, expansive National Air and Space 
Museum Udvar-Hazy Center.
  Several exhibit tours will be extended by popular demand. The most 
important of them are The American Presidency and Our Journeys, Our 
Stories, the original itineraries of which could not accommodate 
multiple exhibitor requests.
  For almost 30 years, The Smithsonian Associates--the highly regarded 
educational arm of the Smithsonian Institution--has arranged Scholars 
in the Schools programs. Through this tremendously successful and well-
received educational outreach program, the Smithsonian shares its 
staff--hundreds of experts in art, history and science--with the 
national community at a local level.
  The mission of Smithsonian Affiliations is to build a strong national 
network of museums

[[Page 17516]]

and educational organizations in order to establish active and engaging 
relationships with communities throughout the country. There are 
currently 138 affiliates located in the United States, Puerto Rico, and 
Panama. By working with museums of diverse subject areas and scholarly 
disciplines, both emerging and well-established, Smithsonian 
Affiliations is building partnerships through which audiences and 
visitors everywhere will be able to share in the great wealth of the 
Smithsonian while building capacity and expertise in local communities.
  The National Science Resources Center (NSRC) will strive to increase 
the number of ethnically diverse students participating in effective 
science programs based on NSRC products and services. The Center will 
develop and implement a national outreach strategy that will increase 
the number of school districts (currently more than 800) that are 
implementing NSRC K-8 programs. The NSRC is striving to further enhance 
its program activity with a newly developed scientific outreach program 
introducing communities and school districts to science through 
literacy initiatives. Some of NSRC's goals are:
  Double the number of school districts implementing NSRC K-8 programs, 
growing from an estimated 15 percent of the school population to 30 
percent
  Significantly expand national outreach programs to ethnically and 
culturally diverse school districts through the work of the NSRC's 
three centers of excellence
  Engage 125 school districts--representing an additional 5 percent of 
the United States K-8 student population--bringing the impact of the 
NSRC's work from 20 percent to 25 percent of the nation's youth
  Continue to develop and bring first-class educational resources to 
the nation by forging partnerships with school systems, educators, 
education and museum professional associations, and others to expand 
opportunities for development and dissemination of Smithsonian-based 
education resources
  Through a collaborative effort with other Smithsonian education 
units, expand the educational opportunities available throughout the 
country, particularly in the area of science education reform
  Expand the number of science materials currently available to school 
districts for grades K-3 and continue pursuing newly-published 
children's books, which will enhance science education programs 
throughout the country
  Continue to develop and bring first-class educational resources to 
the nation by forging partnerships with school systems, educators, 
education and museum professional associations and others to expand 
opportunities for development and dissemination of Smithsonian-based 
education resources.
  In addition, through the building of the multicultural Alliance 
Initiative, the Smithsonian's outreach programs seek to develop new 
approaches to enable the public to gain access to Smithsonian 
collections, research, education, and public programs that reflect the 
diversity of the American people, including underserved audiences of 
ethnic populations and persons with disabilities.
  For all these reasons, Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of my amendment 
and thank Chairman Dicks and Ranking Member Tiahrt for their 
courtesies, consideration, and very fine work in putting together this 
excellent legislation.
  Mr. DICKS. If the gentlewoman would yield, we are prepared to accept 
the gentlelady's amendment. We accepted it last year. We think it's a 
positive amendment.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I would be happy to yield.
  Mr. TIAHRT. I wanted to congratulate the gentlewoman on a fine 
amendment. We have no problems with it.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I conclude by thanking both 
the chairman and the ranking member, and I ask my colleagues to support 
this amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  The amendment was agreed to.

                              {time}  1900


               Amendment No. 34 Offered by Mr. Hensarling

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 34 offered by Mr. Hensarling:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       None of the funds in this Act may be used for the Clover 
     Bend Historic Site.

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and a Member opposed each will 
control 5 minutes.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on this 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. A point of order is reserved.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  First I want to thank the chairman of the committee. I especially 
want to thank the ranking member, my friend from Kansas, for all their 
good work on this bill. I know a lot of good work went into this.
  For one, I am still concerned that our overall spending levels in 
growing this bill are roughly twice the rate of inflation, I think 7.6 
percent over the President's request. But I know a lot of good work has 
gone into this.
  My amendment specifically would ensure that none of the funds in the 
bill would go to fund the Clover Bend Historic Site in Clover Bend, 
Arkansas, which, again, is one of the earmarks that is place in the 
bill. I don't mind admitting before this House that I am not a huge fan 
of earmarks. I am certainly not here to say they are all bad. Many are 
worthy. Many do good things.
  But too often, as I look at the earmarking process, too often we see 
a triumph of the special interest over the public interest. Too often 
we see a triumph of seniority over merit. Mr. Chairman, up until 
recently, too often we saw a triumph of secrecy over transparency.
  I will be the first to admit that this particular amendment and 
earmarks, in general, are a very small portion of the Federal budget. 
But, Mr. Chairman, I fear they are a very large portion of the culture 
of spending in this institution.
  Mr. Chairman, I've been a veteran of several of these earmark 
debates. They tend to follow several different lines of argument. 
Typically a Member will come to the floor to defend his earmark and say 
he knows his district better than anybody else. That is true. They 
typically come to the floor. They will say, well, good things can be 
done with this money.
  I am prepared to concede both of these points. I know the Member who 
offered this project knows his district better than I do. I know good 
things could be done with this money.
  But let's put this expenditure in context, Mr. Chairman. We still 
have a deficit. It is declining, but we still have a deficit, which 
means that until we balance the budget, we are raiding the Social 
Security trust fund. In addition, spending is exploding. Look at what 
is happening in entitlement spending, which threatens to bankrupt 
future generations. Right now, we are on a fiscal path to either double 
taxes on the next generation or to have little Federal Government 
besides Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Yet, as I look around, 
almost every single State in the Union is running a surplus.
  So, Mr. Chairman, I ask myself a simple question. There are a number 
of earmarks submitted in this bill. Again, I am sure good things can be 
done with this money. But can we continue, given this context, to fund 
earmarks of this type simply because, one, we have done it before, 
simply because we are creative and we can think of these things, simply 
because it is a good project?
  I am not here to necessarily say it is a bad project. But given the 
entitlement crisis, given the fact that our Democratic colleagues in 
their budget resolution voted for the single largest tax increase in 
American history, I just ask myself this question, is it truly a 
priority? Not is it bad, not is it wasteful, but is it truly a 
priority? Because every time we plus up some Federal budget, we are 
having to lower some family budget.
  Again, I know the gentleman from Arkansas knows his district better

[[Page 17517]]

than I do, but I know my district better than he does. Taxpayers from 
the Fifth District of Texas are going to have to help fund this 
particular earmark.
  Mr. Chairman, I just fear that if we end up saying yes to everyone's 
program today, it is just a matter of time before we end up saying no 
to our children's future tomorrow. It is a small step. It is a small 
earmark. I understand this. But if you are going to lead, you need to 
lead by example. This is one small step we can take for fiscal sanity.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. McDermott). The gentleman from Arkansas is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Dicks and the 
ranking member, Mr. Tiahrt, for their leadership on this subcommittee 
and for their bipartisan approach to these issues. I rise in opposition 
to the Hensarling amendment. I respect his right to offer the 
amendment.
  I find it interesting that we have a sudden attack of fiscal 
responsibility on the other side of the aisle after adding $3 trillion 
in the last 6 years to the national debt. I find it interesting that we 
suddenly have an attack of fiscal responsibility after a Democratic 
administration had created almost a $6 trillion surplus, and that has 
been squandered by the Republicans across the aisle.
  I think it is sad that we would object to a small community in rural 
Arkansas that has put tens of thousands of dollars into this project to 
preserve a little bit of history and a little bit of heritage in this 
wonderful community.
  Clover Bend was one of the earliest settlements in Lawrence County, 
serving as a significant river landing for the area's bustling cotton 
and timber industry. Remote as the settlement was, it clung to 
existence. In 1829, steamboats were finding their way to its landing. 
The settlement was established as an important landing in river travel. 
Some years later, the actual town was moved from the river to the 
present site about 2 miles east.
  The Clover Bend Historic Preservation Association was formed in 1983 
at the historic site located on the former Clover Bend school campus. 
In 1937, a transaction was made through the Resettlement Administration 
to buy the plantation and establish 86 farmsteads from the original 
Clover Bend plantation. It gave 86 families in the depths of the Great 
Depression a new start, a new chance. It created a wonderful rural 
community where people came together for the common good to get the job 
done. It is something that is well worth preserving.
  On the morning of May 4, 1939, after a decade of near starvation for 
many Lawrence County farmers, some 36 families gathered on the banks of 
the Black River to receive keys to their new homes. These were the 
first families chosen from the many to buy about 45 acres with a house 
on it. The site contains ten structures and was added to the National 
Register of Historic Places as an historic district in 1991. Clover 
Bend is a multipurpose site with a wide range of historical 
significance. The ultimate goal for Clover Bend is to become a fully 
functional museum and education center.
  Funds will be matched by the State of Arkansas. This assistance is 
needed in order for the Preservation Association to continue to 
maintain and promote Clover Bend to the region and to preserve what is 
there and what the heritage of that place is. Through the countless 
hours of volunteers in the region and the support of the State, this 
request will allow the goal of the Preservation Association to become a 
reality.
  As is the case so many times, there is one person, a wonderful woman 
named Viola Meadows, that has held all this together. Through tons of 
sweat equity, she has made it possible for us to be here today to see 
this entire project come to fruition. It is not like they are asking us 
to pay for the whole thing. They are asking us for just a little bit of 
help. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of 
words.
  Mr. Chairman, I make no apology for the amount of money in this bill 
to address problems in Member districts or the process through which 
projects were selected. I just want to tell the gentleman from Texas, 
Mr. Tiahrt and I did this on a bipartisan basis. We worked this out. 
Our staffs worked together. We went through these projects very 
carefully. We only approved one out of every ten projects that were 
requested by the Members.
  Now, I would remind the gentleman that in the Constitution of the 
United States, the most fundamental power of the United States Congress 
is the power of the purse, the power of the Congress to redress 
grievances of the American people, to help on projects that are 
important to the Members' districts.
  Now, in this budget, we also laid out all the projects that are 
requested by the President. I would just, as one example, point out to 
the gentleman that in 2004 in terms of STAG grants, there were $533 
million; in 2005, $513 million. These are all earmarks.

                              {time}  1915

  In 2006, $282 million. In 2007, zero. In 2008, $140 million. This is 
responsible. The administration even says we met their test on 
earmarks. We went through these projects carefully, we looked at them 
closely, and we did it in a professional way.
  So I would urge the gentleman to consider these facts. We are not 
going to be doing this the way it was done in the past, but we have the 
right to do it. And even the gentleman from Texas can't give away the 
power of the purse, because it is in the Constitution of the United 
States, and the Founding Fathers of this country stated that this was 
one of the most important powers that the Congress possessed. 
Throughout history, the British Parliament worked feverishly over the 
years to gain the power to be able to decide and limit the executive, 
the king in this case, of Britain. That was one of the most important 
powers that the Parliament developed over many hundreds of years.
  So I am here tonight to defend our right to take care of our 
constituents, and I defend the process by which we did this. We did it 
in a professional way. We did it with both parties sitting in the same 
room looking at all these projects, helping each other, so we didn't 
make any mistakes.
  I just want the gentleman to know how strongly I feel personally 
about this. We did a good job, and we cut it way back, and I thought 
the gentleman from Texas would be here applauding what we did, not 
attacking it.
  Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will 
be postponed.


               Amendment No. 44 Offered by Mr. Hensarling

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 44 offered by Mr. Hensarling:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       None of the funds in this Act may be used for the St. 
     Joseph's College Theatre.

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and a Member opposed each will 
control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would restrict funding

[[Page 17518]]

for the St. Joseph's College theater renovation located in Indiana. 
Again, I want to follow up on some of my earlier comments and address 
comments that the chairman made. If he was listening to my earlier 
comments, I started out complimenting much of what I see in the bill, 
and to the extent I see a reduction in the number of earmarks, I take 
that to be a very good thing.
  But I was elected by the people of the Fifth District of Texas, and 
with all due respect to all of my colleagues, I yield my voting card to 
no one or my judgment to no one. So I am not here to impugn the 
judgment of the chairman, but I may have different concerns, and the 
people of the Fifth Congressional District of Texas may have different 
concerns as well.
  I believe that historical preservation is a very good thing, but I 
know that much of the funding that has come from the Save America's 
Treasure program, what started out ostensibly geared toward Betsy Ross 
and the Declaration of Independence, has ended up funding so many other 
different projects.
  Do you know what? I have got a lot of worthy historical and cultural 
projects in my own district, in the Fifth Congressional District of 
Texas. I am just not sure, at a time when Members, many who have come 
to this floor and said they would not raid the Social Security trust 
fund; as long as we are running a deficit, and we are doing that; 
recently the Democrat majority in their budget resolution voted to 
increase the debt ceiling; in their budget resolution, they voted for 
the single largest tax increase in history; all I question is, given 
all that background, government will be paid for. Sooner or later, 
government will be paid for, either by this generation or the next.
  So I am not saying these are necessarily bad projects, but I do 
question whether or not, given the context, particularly the 
entitlement spending crisis that is looming, if they are truly a 
priority. Clearly they are a priority in the mind of the chairman, and 
I sincerely respect his opinion, but they are not necessarily a 
priority to me or the people of the Fifth District of Texas.
  In my district, I have the Grand Saline Salt Palace. It sits on top 
of one of the largest salt mines in the entire United States of 
America. It is a very unique museum, actually made of salt. They give 
away free salt samples so people won't go and lick the walls. This is 
something that is unique in America, but is it truly a priority that we 
should have Federal funding for? I don't necessarily think so.
  Now, there has been a debate in this body before about the history of 
the hamburger. Well, in the State of Texas, they say the birth of the 
hamburger was in Athens, Texas, which happens to be in the Fifth 
Congressional District that I have the honor of representing. It was 
invented in the 1880s by Mr. Fletcher Davis at 115 Tyler Street in 
Athens. Maybe that is something that is worthy of Federal expenditure 
to preserve this.
  The Texas State Railroad that takes people on an old steam locomotive 
throughout beautiful Piney Woods of east Texas has been in existence 
since the 1800s. It has some funding challenges. It is something that I 
think is worthy of preservation. But, again, given the context of the 
largest tax increase in American history, given that people are still 
raiding the Social Security trust fund, it is not something I 
personally feel comfortable coming to this body and requesting that we 
use Federal funds for these purposes.
  These are great historical and cultural locations within my district, 
but I am not sure they rise to the occasion to meet the National 
Treasures Act language, particularly when, again, all this spending has 
to be paid for.
  So, I understand that people are experts on their district, that they 
want to defend their projects. But, again, it is taxpayers from, among 
other places, the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, that are 
having to pay for all this. Therefore, they start to lose their 
American treasures, their ability to buy a home, their ability to send 
their children to college, their ability to start a new business. I am 
still working to preserve those American treasures, and that is why I 
submitted this amendment, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the recognition, and I rise 
in strong and adamant opposition to the gentleman's amendment. During 
my remarks, I would like to make three points and also indicate that 
this project is in the City of Rensselaer, Indiana, at St. Joseph's 
College. It is for the restoration of a historic theater that continues 
to be used by the faculty and students of the school, as well as the 
constituents and citizens of Rensselaer and Jasper County, Indiana.
  The total cost for the renovation of this project is about $965,000. 
The request and approval by the subcommittee was for $100,000. I would 
want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Dicks, as well as 
the ranking member, my good friend, Mr. Tiahrt, for their consideration 
of this very important project.
  The first point I do want to make is that this has great value to the 
community in which it is situated. While the gentleman who offered the 
amendment enumerated a whole series of other possible projects in 
another State, that is not the subject of this amendment. It is the 
restoration of a historic theater at St. Joseph's College in 
Rensselaer.
  It was built in 1914 and designed in revival style, referred to as 
Collegiate Gothic. It is located in the college's historic district, 
and the goal of the project is to restore the theater as an attractive, 
useful centerpiece for the college and the City of Rensselaer while 
retaining its notable contribution among historic sites and structures 
in the great State of Indiana.
  The second point I would want to make, and I would take off on the 
remarks made by the chairman, is he suggested that we have a right to 
spend this money. I agree with that assertion. I would take it a step 
further and say, we have a responsibility to make an investment in this 
country. We need to invest to preserve the past so we can continue to 
learn its lessons. We need to invest in this country for our present 
and for those who live here today. We need to invest in this country 
and its infrastructure for the future of this Nation and for the 
children of this generation and those yet to come. We have a 
responsibility as well as a right.
  The gentleman from Washington, Mr. Dicks, also mentioned we are here 
to help each other out. I would conclude by stressing that point.
  While I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman from the Fifth 
District of Texas, I happen to represent the First District in Indiana, 
and the last time I looked, society and the purpose of us joining 
together in a free government is to help each other out and to look out 
for each others' interests.
  It is not the government that is paying this money, as the gentleman 
indicated; it is the people of this country who are paying for this 
project in Rensselaer, Indiana, that has value, which is the same 
reason why I think it is absolutely appropriate that taxpayers in 
places like east Chicago, Indiana, and Hobart, Indiana, expend some of 
their tax moneys as individuals to help the City of Dallas, for 
example, with their floodway to ensure that there is not property 
damage in the future, that there is not loss of life, that there is not 
injury to others in this country.
  It is why I think there is a noble reason to ask people who live in 
Lowell, Indiana, and Chesterton, Indiana, and Gary, Indiana, to help 
fund research taking place at Oak Ridge in Tennessee. At first blush, 
why should we have an interest in making that investment? Because it 
inures to the benefit of not only everyone who lives in the United 
States, but everyone worldwide.
  We should get over this concept that we have to be parochial in what 
we do and get over this concept that we should be selfish about what we 
are about. We are here to make an investment, and, as the gentleman 
from

[[Page 17519]]

Washington rightfully pointed out, to help each other out.
  So I strongly oppose the gentleman's amendment. I absolutely think it 
is bad policy, and I would ask my colleagues' support.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DICKS. I move to strike the requisite number of words.
  Mr. Chairman, I want to say to my friend from Indiana, who has been a 
valued member of our committee for many years, that I strongly support 
his project. Our committee evaluated it. We looked at all the details. 
We think it is a worthy project that should be supported.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose the gentleman from Texas' amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will 
be postponed.


               Amendment No. 56 Offered by Mr. Hensarling

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 56 offered by Mr. Hensarling:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       None of the funds in this Act may be used for the Maverick 
     Concert Hall.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and a Member opposed each will 
control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prohibit funds in 
the bill from being used for Maverick Concert Hall preservation located 
in Woodstock, New York. I think the committee report provides $150,000 
for this particular local project.
  Again, the debate that I want to present now is similar to one I 
presented on some of the other earmark funds. I do want to address some 
of what I have heard earlier in the debate.
  I would like to make it very clear to the chairman of the committee 
and to all my colleagues, I do not question the right to spend this 
money. I don't question the right of this body to expend these funds. I 
simply question the wisdom of expending these funds given that the 
Nation continues to run a deficit, given that we have a looming 
entitlement spending crisis. The Comptroller General of America has 
stated we are on the verge of being the first generation in American 
history to leave the next generation with a lower standard of living.
  I question the wisdom of the expenditure, given the fact that we just 
had a budget resolution passed, against my vote, passed against, 
contrary to the debate I offered on the floor, that would present the 
largest tax increase in American history, an average of roughly $3,000 
per American family.
  Now, I heard one gentleman early on, in defending his particular 
earmark, say it was a small amount of money. Relative to the Federal 
budget, I am sure it is a small amount of money. But for those of us 
who have consistently throughout our careers come to this floor to 
debate protecting the family budget from the Federal budget, to come to 
this floor and debate more freedom and less government, you got to 
start somewhere.
  I don't understand the argument. It is either, well, this is such a 
small amount of money, why are we bothering, or I hear the argument 
sometimes, it is such a huge sum, we can't do that. That would be 
Draconian.
  I kind of feel like, well, especially since I have small children and 
I read them bedtime stories, it is kind of like Goldilocks and the 
Three Bears. Either the porridge is too cold or it is too hot. When is 
the amount just right?
  I heard one of the earlier speakers talk about responsibility to 
future generations. I agree. I spend a lot of time thinking about 
future generations. Again, I am the father of a 5-year-old daughter and 
a 3-year-old son, and I know everybody in this body loves their 
children and loves their grandchildren. But I think a lot about the 
debt and the tax burden that is going to be passed on to future 
generations. And, again, I fear that although earmarks represent a 
small portion of the Federal budget, they represent a large portion of 
the culture of spending that has now led to over $50 trillion of 
unfunded obligations in the Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security 
programs alone.
  So, where do the steps, the baby steps towards fiscal responsibility, 
start?

                              {time}  1930

  I just believe again that with this looming entitlement crisis, that 
we need to do more. We need to set even a higher standard. We need to 
set even a higher bar for the expenditure of these funds. And I am sure 
these are interesting and worthy sites, although I haven't visited 
them. I am not sure if they are worthier or are more interesting than 
many of the sites in my own district.
  Again, I start to think about the people who will have to pay this. I 
think about their American treasure. I think about a guy named Bruce in 
Garland, Texas, in my district. And when I asked him what is this tax 
increase going to do, and it is going to be a tax increase or debt that 
is going to pay for these earmarks, he said, ``Congressman, in my 
particular case, an additional $2,200 in taxes would cut into the 
finances I use to pay for my son's college education. I really believe 
that given more money, Congress will spend more money, so that is not 
the answer. A control and reduction of spending is what is needed.''
  And so I think about Bruce in Garland and about all of the Bruces in 
Garland. You are talking about $100,000 here and $100,000 there, and to 
paraphrase the late Everett Dirkson, pretty soon you're talking about 
real money.
  When we are helping each other out, let's think about future 
generations who are going to end up paying for all of these earmarks.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New York is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HINCHEY. First of all, before I begin, I want to express my deep 
admiration and appreciation to the chairman of this Environment and 
Interior Subcommittee, for the marvelous job he has done in putting 
this bill together. It is extraordinary in all that it does and 
improvements that it makes.
  Also, I express my appreciation to the ranking minority member, Mr. 
Tiahrt, and all of the good work he has done and his responsibility on 
this committee, and particularly with regard to this bill.
  Ironically, I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from 
Texas because he gives me an opportunity to talk a little bit about the 
Maverick Concert Hall.
  This small amount of money in this bill would provide for the 
restoration work on this Maverick Concert Hall. The Maverick Concert 
Hall was handbuilt in 1916 in a very unique rustic style. It was done 
so by famed Maverick Art Colony founder and philosopher Hervey White. 
Local carpenters put the building together, along with a band of 
resident ``maverick'' artists and volunteers.
  The Maverick Art Colony was a key element in the emergence of 
Woodstock, New York, as a nationally influential art colony.
  Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the hall is the home 
of the oldest continuous summer chamber music series anywhere in the 
United States. For 91 years, America's leading professional artists 
have presented summer concerts at the hall. The acoustics in this rural 
building are nearly perfect. Maverick concerts became the prototype for 
other summer

[[Page 17520]]

music festivals, taking music from the cities and bringing them into 
rural, bucolic settings.
  True to the egalitarian spirit of the original colony, the concerts 
are offered to the public and free for children and at very affordable 
prices in a lovely wooded surrounding for adults.
  It is a marvelous place, and I am very proud to be the sponsor of 
this piece of this bill which would provide this very modest amount of 
funding for this particular project in the town of Woodstock, New York.
  With regard to some of the things that the author and the sponsor of 
this amendment have put forward, I think it is important for all of us 
to recognize that he is very grossly mistaken in some of the things 
that he said. For example, there are no tax increases in this budget, 
and no tax increases in any of the things that we are dealing with here 
today.
  In fact, what we are trying to do, this new Democratic majority in 
this House of Representatives and in the Senate as well, what we are 
trying to do is to rebalance the budget because in the several terms 
that my good friend from Texas, the sponsor of this amendment has been 
part of, we have increased the national debt by a huge amount of money. 
We have almost doubled the national debt while he was in the majority 
party and voting for all of those things that brought about that 
increase in the national debt, almost doubling it.
  He has been responsible, along with some others, really placing 
future generations deeply, deeply in debt.
  He talks about the need to be responsible in the way we provide 
Federal financing for issues across the country. I would simply remind 
the sponsor of this amendment that on a per capita basis, far more 
Federal money goes into the State of Texas than goes into the State of 
New York, for example.
  So with that fact in mind, if he was really sincere and serious about 
what he is saying, then he would be recommending that the people in his 
district reject the Federal funding that they are receiving. I don't 
advise him to do that, but I do advise him to be more serious, be more 
sincere, be more knowledgeable and understanding about your 
responsibilities here, the kinds of things that we are obliged to do, 
particularly in the context of the way we are authorized under the 
Constitution to provide for the people of this country. To spend the 
money appropriately, intelligently, doing good things for all of the 
people.
  Mr. Tiahrt understands that. It is quite clear in the way that he has 
helped put this bill together. And, of course, Mr. Dicks understands it 
very well. And we understand it, too. That is why we are going to be 
supporting this bill very enthusiastically and why I ask everyone here 
to reject this amendment from our friend from Texas.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of 
words.
  I want to commend the gentleman from New York for his participation 
on our subcommittee and for all of his good work during the year.
  I must say, a performing arts facility in a town can be such a 
fantastic thing. One thing I hope my colleague from Texas remembers is 
that the local community has to match the money. I think in this case 
this is a grant of $150,000 to Save America's Treasures which clearly 
this is one of. And then the local community has to raise $150,000, and 
out of that there are improvements to the facility and the structure 
that are done over a period of time.
  Again, as we analyzed all of these projects, this is exactly what we 
had in mind. This legislation was authorized by Congress. And I would 
mention also that Mrs. Bush has her program, the Preserve America 
Program, which our committee has supported. Mr. Tiahrt has been a 
strong supporter of that program. I saw Mrs. Bush the other night and I 
told her we were working hard together up here to try and preserve this 
program, which does exactly the same things as Save America's 
Treasures. There may be a nuance or two, but basically it is the same 
thing.
  So again, I support the Hinchey project and oppose the gentleman from 
Texas's amendment. I appreciate the good work of my colleague from New 
York over all of the years we have been on this committee together.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will 
be postponed.


               Amendment No. 74 Offered by Mr. Hensarling

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 74 offered by Mr. Hensarling:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       None of the funds in this Act may be used for the Bremerton 
     Public Library.

  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and a Member opposed each will 
control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prohibit funds in 
the bill from being used for the Bremerton Public Library Restoration 
Project in Bremerton, Washington. The supplement to the committee 
report provides $150,000 for this project.
  According to a 2001 article in the Kitsap Business Journal, 
restoration of the building previously received a $100,000 grant from 
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. An equal amount was provided by 
the local government. The building is described in the same article as 
being a unique art deco style building. The Bill and Melinda Gates 
Foundation has an endowment apparently of over $30 billion, and as of 
April 2007, the State of Washington was projected to have the eighth 
largest surplus in the country at $1.23 billion.
  So, again, I question not that good things can't be done with these 
Federal funds, not that this is not a project worthy of preservation 
and restoration, I simply question the wisdom again of using Federal 
taxpayer funds on such a project given the background. And I will 
respectfully disagree with the gentleman who spoke before me, the 
gentleman from New York, given the largest tax increase in history. He 
may not believe it is the largest tax increase in history, but The 
Washington Post, not exactly a bastion of conservative journalism 
wrote: ``And while House Democrats say they want to preserve key parts 
of Bush's signature tax cuts, they project a surplus in 2012 only by 
assuming that all of these cuts expire on schedule in 2010.''
  It may be an expiration to the gentleman from New York, but to the 
people of the Fifth Congressional District of Texas, it smacks of a big 
tax increase.
  And as I look at all of the different projects that have been brought 
forth tonight, I just ask myself a question: Is there any good project 
back home that apparently is not worth a Federal subsidy? If we say 
``yes'' to all of these projects today, I fear we will be saying ``no'' 
to our children's future tomorrow.
  Again, where is this money coming from? Government will be paid for. 
Either you are increasing taxes on the American people through the 
largest tax increase in American history, or you are going to pass on 
taxes even further by not doing anything to reform entitlement 
spending. That is the real fiscal tragedy. That is where the real 
scandal is. It is in the $50 trillion of unfunded obligations and not 
one word, not one word, Mr. Chairman, in the Democrat budget about what 
to do in entitlement spending.
  Instead we have, again, local project after local project after local 
project. Maybe we have fewer than we had last year, and I assume the 
chairman is accurate when he says that and I salute

[[Page 17521]]

him for that. But still, given the fact that the Federal Government is 
spending roughly $23,000 per American family, the largest level since 
World War II, given that the Democrat majority, over the course of 5 
years, is about to impose a $3,000 increase in taxes on those same 
families, and given that we still have a Federal deficit that I have 
fought against since I have been here, often battling with my own party 
leadership, something I wish some of the people on the other side of 
the aisle who espouse a similar philosophy, I wish they would raise 
their voices occasionally.
  Again, I would like to say that as worthy as many of these projects 
are, America's true treasures are the treasures to be found in the 
family, those dreams that are discussed around the kitchen table. That 
dream of launching that first small business, that dream of being able 
to finally send the first child to college. That dream of actually 
being able to afford the health care premiums to make sure that the 
family is well. Those are America's true treasures, and those are the 
treasures that I am trying to preserve.
  We have to go further in changing the culture of spending and not 
expending funds for any purpose simply because we think of it or 
because we say good things can be done. Better things can be done when 
the taxpayers keep their own money.

                              {time}  1945

  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Washington is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. DICKS. This is an amendment that affects a project in my hometown 
of Bremerton, Washington.
  The downtown Bremerton library building opened in August 1938. Now, 
that may sound recent, but, remember, Washington has only been a State 
since 1889. The building was funded under the Works Progress 
Administration. The WPA was one of Franklin Roosevelt's principal 
public works programs that helped America recover from the Great 
Depression. The building is constructed in an art deco style which was 
a signature style during the twenties and thirties and a favorite today 
of preservationists across the country. The building has a large 
rotunda with skylights. Because of its distinctive style, the library 
remains one of the most attractive buildings in downtown Bremerton. 
Like many art deco buildings, the library has a very bright color, in 
this case a vibrant yellow.
  The downtown Bremerton library was constructed on land that has 
housed a library for nearly a hundred years. When this library opened 
in 1938, it served as the main library. The City of Bremerton and 
Kitsap County combined their library system in 1955. In 1978, a new 
headquarters library was built for the regional system and the downtown 
library became a branch library.
  The library in downtown Bremerton has been undergoing rehabilitation 
for the last 1\1/2\ years. The city invested $100,000 last year in 
general fund money and $100,000 from its community development block 
grant funds. These were matched with $100,000 from Kitsap County and 
$100,000 from the Gates Foundation. The moneys were spent replacing 
windows and doors, remodeling bathrooms, rebuilding the roof and other 
structural improvements which brought the building, to a reasonable 
degree at least, up to current building codes and took care of pressing 
life/safety concerns. This year, the city is spending an additional 
$200,000 in general fund money to replace the existing heating, cooling 
and air ventilation system, to remove asbestos from the heating plant 
and associated piping, replace much of the building's plumbing, and to 
rewire the entire building for additional electrical capacity and other 
modern communication equipment.
  When I was a kid growing up in Bremerton, Washington, this was the 
library that I used to go to with my mother and father and my younger 
brother, Les. Bremerton is a city where we have the Puget Sound Naval 
Shipyard, probably the most effective and productive shipyard in the 
United States. We have about 10,000 workers working there, and we have 
thousands of sailors who are home-ported in Bremerton and at the 
Trident submarine base at Bangor. I would like to think that this 
facility would be available to those men and women serving us in the 
military and for all of those thousands of government employees who 
work in the Kitsap County area. This is a good project. The money that 
we are providing, $150,000, will be matched by the city of Bremerton. 
They've already put in a lot of additional money. And this is a 
partnership. This is one of those good projects where there's a 
partnership.
  I urge my colleagues to strongly oppose this amendment and to support 
this worthy project.
  I would also say, again, to the gentleman, this is such a dramatic 
reversal, what we have done on this side of the aisle on earmarks from 
the comparison when the other side took power. In 1994, there were 
about a thousand earmarks. In 2006, there were 13,000 earmarks.
  The other thing I would suggest, too, it's one thing to go after the 
projects of your colleagues, but the President has what we would call 
earmarks, executive branch earmarks in this budget. If the gentleman 
was evenhanded in his approach, and I think he has been very fair in 
how he has selected these projects, but if he was evenhanded, he would 
go after some of the things that the President requests. As I said, the 
Preserve America Program is almost identical to Save America's 
Treasures, but I don't notice the gentleman offering an amendment on 
that particular project. No, I don't want to incentivize him, but I 
guess we can't because there is a unanimous consent agreement.
  But, again, I appreciate what the gentleman is saying, and it is 
important. Dealing with the entitlements where two-thirds of our 
spending is has got to be done, and I hope that we can approach those 
problems just the same way as the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) 
and I have approached this problem, with approving only one in ten of 
the projects that were requested from our colleagues.
  Again, it is our power. Don't give up Congress's power of the 
Constitution, which is the power of the purse. That would be a tragic 
mistake that would haunt this House for many years.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will 
be postponed.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Committee will rise informally.
  The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Andrews) assumed the chair.

                          ____________________