She also told the Missoulian that while she is not a biologist, shes spent [her] career translating science to decision makers and courts, and said she takes particular pleasure in teaching students about the intersections of science, law and policy. Catherine Wightman is moving on to a new opportunity that will continue to benefit sage grouse and . President Joe Biden has nominated a Montanan and former state wildlife manager to lead the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service.. Martha Williams has informally led the Fish and Wildlife Service since January. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, and Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, both urged their colleagues to vote for confirmation. How many wolves roam the Northern Rockies and whether state policies promote recovery are the central questions Williamss endangered species review must consider. Montana had about 1,164 wolves a problem, Fielder argued, since the states wolf management plan referred to just 15 breeding pairs and 150 individual animals. The former director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will assume management of more than 8,000 employees and 567 wildlife refuges, and will oversee administration of the Endangered Species Act. MW: At USFWS, we always have to be grounded in the science, so the numbers are important. We cant take wolf recovery for granted, MacNulty said. Despite the many opportunities already offered under the law, Republican lawmakers and a subset of hunters and trappers had long argued that Montanas regulations did not go far enough. On the one hand, the Service provides access, essential fish and wildlife management and funding, and facilitates things like the federal duck stamp. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. For Hawkaluk, the trajectory of wolves within Montanas bureaucracy reflects the contentious politics that surrounds the animals. Democrats said it will weaken Montanans right to participate in government decisions. Grizzlies have twice been delisted in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem only to be overturned in federal court due to issues with genetic connectivity and regulations at the state level. [5] Williams worked as associate professor of law at the University of Montana and co-director of the university's Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic.[6][7]. The balance is seeing the issue of predators in the Westgrizzly bears and wolvesfrom the perspective of the people who have lived there for generations coupled with the perspectives of others in the United States and the world who see it differently because theyre not living with those species. Once wolves were recovered, the states game commissioners would decide which of Montanas more conventional categories fit the animals best. Greg Gianforte announced on Wednesday his pick for state health department director.Gianforte tapped Adam Meier to lead the, Montana Public Radio | 2023 Montana's independent nonprofit news source. Revenue comes fr. In 2002, the agency announced that the criteria had been met. Martha Williams confirmation to lead the U.S. Martha Williams, the former director for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that wildlife conservation was a shared responsibility. The problem seems to be coming from the U.S. Paulette M. "Pidge" Williams, 78, passed away due to natural causes at Northern Montana Hospital on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Fish and Wildlife Service is a victory for Montana, our outdoor economy and heritage, and for every American that cares about what happens to our nations greatest natural treasures: our public lands and wildlife, he said. Republican Sen. Steve Daines also wrote a letter of support, saying he believes Williams will bring a pragmatic and balanced approach to USFWS. She was appointed to that position in 2017 by former governor Steve Bullock. Williamss review is probing the conduct, regulations, and science of a department she once led and shaped, in a state she still calls home. It just got harder to keep collars out, Ausband said. You have permission to edit this article. Under the terms laid out by FWS, wolves in the Northern Rockies Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming would be considered recovered once there were 30 breeding pairs raising at least two pups each for three consecutive years. Last year, her agency announced a review to determine whether wolves in the Northern Rockies should regain federal protection under the landmark statute after Montana and Idaho launched the most aggressive wolf hunts in recent history. So if the underlying concern with the litigation is, are we committed to expanding opportunities on refuges? Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., walks through the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 6, 2022. It was like a slow decay, Ausband said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. There was a problem saving your notification. Ms. Martha Williams, Montana Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks, Director (Absent, no proxy) Senator Mike Lang, Senate District 17 . Links also do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. As principal deputy director of FWS, Williams will oversee a federal agency tasked with managing wildlife and habitat across the country, and in charge of more than 150 million acres of land in the National Wildlife Refuge System. MW: Ive thought about this a lot. Thats never happened, Hawkaluk told me, so theyre just kind of stuck in limbo as a species in need of management.. Right-wing politicians could push for predator-style management, but they were likely to fail. As for using telemetry in wolf hunts, Jacobsen added: This would not be lawful while in the act of hunting under Montanas statute on two-way communication.. In the departments view, the warnings amounted to an ongoing, decadelong mistake. We have this infusion of belief in what we do, whether its through the infrastructure bill or the Great American Outdoors Act. From 1988-2011, Williams was agency legal counsel for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, where she advised and represented the department on real estate transactions, Endangered Species Act policy and litigation, and on state and national environmental policy acts. Among the prohibitions were the use of aircraft and radio telemetry equipment the kind of gear biologists use to find and monitor wildlife. Fish and Wildlife Service. . Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. She then spent two years as a deputy solicitor for the Interior Department, which oversees the USFWS. Williams was the director of FWP in Montana from 2017 to 2020. Please subscribe to keep reading. Get your insiders look into what's happening in and around the Capitol. Polly and Robert divorced in 1984, and in 1991, she sold the salon and moved to Helena, where she worked for the State of Montana as the salon inspector until her retirement in 1999, which was due to medical issues. Aerial hunting wasnt the only tactic to disappear from Montanas regulations last year. Please reload the page and try again. Montana abortion providers on Friday sued the state health department in an attempt to block a new rule adopted by the Gianforte administrations health department that restricts how the state will pay for abortions through its Medicaid program. As director of U.S. Steve Bullock and served as director from 2017-2020. Seeking confirmation as director of the U.S. After her graduation from beauty school, she moved to Havre, MT, to be near her sisters. In that role, she mediated a number of contentious issues, including implementing a wolf hunting season and expanding visitor services. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Biden Administration, Greg Gianforte nominated the agencys new director, Abortion providers sue state over Medicaid coverage restrictions, Child care spending bill passes Montana Legislature, Bill would enforce constitutional mandate to teach students about Native American cultures, Capitol briefs: Gender-affirming care, charter schools and foster care, Record-breaking warm, spring weather could hit Montana this weekend, BNSF Plan Aims To Reduce Train-Related Grizzly Bear Deaths, Groups Ask Court To Restore Protections For US Gray Wolves, Gianforte Announces New Health Department Director. For the past year, MacNulty has delved deep into the modeling system that served as the basis for politicians calls to make deep cuts to the wolf population. But there are international wildlife affairs, theres refuges, theres fisheries and aquatic conservation, theres science application, theres the Partners program. In addition to writing Given her her legal experience and background in state-level resource management, and the Services wide-ranging authority and influence over Americas wildlife, habitats, and our hunting and fishing culture, Outdoor Life wanted to hear how Williams views both her new job and the priorities of the agency. Zinkes effort failed due to Sheehans lack of ascience degree. No shouting. MW: Were embracing access in an even larger contexthow do we support communities and allow people to feel like they belong on our wildlife refuges. I had a bill that was going to place wolves on the predator list make them a predator, just treat them as predator, Bob Brown, a Montana state senator, said at an FWPCommittee hearing last year. Fish and Wildlife Service in a voice vote late yesterday evening. Just $1 per month , Our hunting and conservation editor sits down with the new head of the USFWS to try to get some answers, By He added, The states were trying to come up with new, cheaper ways to keep monitoring their population but that wouldnt break the bank.. Martha Williams is the new U.S. Republican lawmakers supported the bill, saying it will help unwind a recent court decision over a gas plant under construction. Absolutely. Williams swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place in the coming weeks. In 1964, Polly married Robert Brandon, and the couple had two children. They agitated for wolves to be treated as predators that could be killed with little restriction. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. ), In December, Parsons wrote an op-ed describing how every FWS director going back to the Nixon administration had met the scientific education requirement. Thank you for supporting homegrown news. Thats what America the Beautiful is all about. More recently, bison management has been on her radar. Before taking the deputy directors position with the Biden administration, Williams served as director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks under former Democratic Gov. I have to broaden my context and yet remember to stay really grounded with what Ive learned throughout my career, understanding what it means to live in these communities with species like grizzly bears. The first priority for the refuge system and the GAOA money is to try to catch up on our deferred maintenance. Republican lawmakers supported the bill, saying it will help unwind a recent court decision over a gas plant under construction. In 2009, the Obama administration announced the delisting of wolves in Montana and Idaho, but not Wyoming, which continually failed to come up with a plan that didnt involve treating the animals as predators that could be shot on sight. Fish and Wildlife Service. How Williams navigated the requirement is unclear. Williams is President Joe Bidens nominee for the directors post. In the weeks leading up to Williamss confirmation hearing, he and Aland informed aides on Capitol Hill that Williams lacked a scientific background. Williams was recruited to her first Interior Department stint the following year. It was the kind of extreme proposal that normally died on the governors desk in Montana, but things had changed the previous fall. The Federal Indian Child Welfare Act is at risk. In annual reports required under the act, the experts highlighted the existence of border packs as opposed to resident packs whose potential for double-counting could throw off the accuracy of population estimates. The first wolf arrives at Yellowstone National Park in a pen carried by, from left, Mike Phillips, Yellowstone Wolf Project leader; Jim Evanoff, Yellowstone environmental protection specialist; Molly Beattie, U.S. These issues are hard but we are lucky that people care about them, so that we have engagement so that even if it seems tense at first, I learned how key it is to just loosen that knot and to just get conversations started, she said. She was the first woman to head the department. Montana news with context and care. Her new desk might be in Helena, but Martha Williams sees her new job as director of Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks more as a road trip. Representative Rhonda Knudsen, House District 34 . They were hoping to spot a mountain lion when a flash of unusual human activity caught their attention instead. Wolves learned to avoid the traps researchers used and, with the legalized hunting, the breakup of packs became increasingly common. Prior to teaching at the University of Montanas Alexander Blewitt III School of Law, she was the Interior Departments deputy solicitor for parks and wildlife. I interviewed the guides and reviewed their statements to FWP, then asked the department about the claims and whether hunting wolves with telemetry equipment was now legal. My interest is saving the agency from this now dark path, where the precedent has been set that you can put in a person without biological credentials in violation of the law., The issue has come up before. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Paulette Martha Williams, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. Without public notice, the prohibition against using radio telemetry equipment was also gone. Williams was appointed to head FWP by former Gov. News apps are nice, but how many stories might you be missing? Im trying to save my old agency, for crying out loud, he said. of would-be replacements plays out. I believe Montana and the country would be well-served with her at the helm of the U.S. Time will tell if Williams, another veteran of the Wests wolf wars, agrees. Pollys family has suggested that memorial donations be made in her memory to the Spokane Shriners Hospitals for Children, 911 W. Fifth Ave, Spokane WA 99204, or to the charity of the donors choice. As time went on, things got complicated. As you do in all leadership, you show the way. For nearly a year, Parsons, along with Bob Aland, a retired attorney and environmental activist, have been waging a two-man campaign to remove Williams from the position. Sometimes I think the conflict is a perception, but I also know its real. Prior to assuming the top job at FWP, Williams was an assistant professor of law and co-director of the Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic at the University of Montana. She has also served as deputy solicitor of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. )both have voiced their support for Williams after she was nominated by President Biden in October. MacNulty is not the only one concerned. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? She previously served as the 24th director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020. It recognizes private property rights. She was the first woman to serve in that role, where she managed nearly 700 full-time-equivalent employees and oversaw the administration of more than 50 state parks. Polly enjoyed fishing, so much so, that she and Oakley spent their honeymoon ice fishing. OL: Population numbers are generally the triggers for listing species as threatened or endangered, and population numbers are also the benchmark for recovery of those species. But after speaking with the governors office, FWP, and others, he concluded it was not the right approach because it could lead to relisting. Instead, the senator introduced legislation to slash Montanas wolf population by giving hunters and trappers the authority to kill an unlimited number of wolves using bait, snares, and, on private land, authority to hunt at night with bright lights and night-vision goggles. As a Montanan and nonpartisan wildlife expert, Martha has time and again demonstrated her ability to bring sportsmen and conservationists together to find collaborative, science-based solutions to tough problems., Steve Daines, Testers Republican counterpart in the U.S. Senate, also supported Williams nomination. Just award-winning local journalism for the people, by the people. of would-be replacements plays out. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) by . She had once again joined a government agency facing a historic moment for wolves. The delisting was immediately challenged and in 2010 struck down by a federal judge. I can understand theres worry about it. My primary concern on the surface is not her as an individual, Parsons told me. The infrastructure will support many of these America the Beautiful projects, funding things like fish passage structures and habitat restoration projects that help create jobs and help build communities. Local led, locally initiated projects are the way to go. Categories are key to wildlife governance. So there are always going to be costs. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa via AP Images. The department cannot enforce laws that are not applicable and did not wish to imply that the regulation applied to wolves, Wakeling wrote. She also served a term as the Vice President of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Early in 2017, she was picked by Montanas then-Governor Steve Bullock to lead FWP as its director. Id like my son to learn how to do restoration projects and have employment opportunities in that arena into the future. Under pressure from environmental organizations to appoint a confirmed leader at FWS, President Joe Biden nominated Williams the following month. That agency also guides how the state deals with federally-protected species like grizzly bears, bull trout and Canada lynx, and other thorny wildlife issues such asmanaging the spread of chronic wasting disease and brucellosis. Ive gone from appreciating the on-the-ground piece of [bear management] and really knowing the importance of place and taking that knowledge and thinking of it in this broader perspective. But they want to know that theyre there. Honor a loved one by planting trees in their memory. Williams was appointed to the Service as Principal Deputy Director in January 2021. At its core, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a significant investment in the nations infrastructure and economic competitiveness. USFWS also administers the Endangered Species Act and manages and distributes more than $1 billion to states, tribes and territories for fish and wildlife conservation. I am a lifelong student of nature, the outdoors, fish and wildlife management, people management, and what it takes to solves seemingly intractable natural resource issues.. She served on the committee that Williams convened to review regulations. Join Jeannie and other MTFP members in helping us reach our spring fundraising goal by setting up a recurring donation today. In the portion of the state that abuts Yellowstone Park where longstanding quotas on wolf kills were eliminated entirely the death toll of 19 wolves marked a 342 percent increase from the previous decades annual average of four. At FWP, Williams was at the helm of fishing and hunting policy in Montana. There is at least some evidence that hunters may have attempted to take advantage of the new opportunity. Thats a really important part of what we do. Ryan Devereaux[emailprotected]theintercept.com@rdevro. What does the community want? You are local, available where I look for news, and bring an alternative voice to the national news. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, Amanda spent four years working with the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter. In October, President Joe Biden announced he was nominating her to take the agencys top post, which oversees 567 national wildlife refuges and about 8,000 employees. Montana did an outstanding job of describing, in detail, its regulatory framework and its commitment to wolf management, FWS noted in its rule. He had neither the uniform nor the vehicle of a government official. Whoops! A Maryland native and graduate of the University of Virginia, Williams received her law degree from the University of Montana and then went to work as an attorney for Montana FWP. In Montana, the solution Williams and her colleagues came up with was to categorize wolves as a species in need of management. The special designation had surfaced a year before, in a bill passed by the Montana Senate, which aimed to carve out a space for wolves once they were removed from the states endangered species list. She also served as legal counsel to FWP from 1998 to 2011, when wolf reintroduction was a hot-button issue for the agency. The U.S. Senate confirmed Martha Williams to lead the U.S. Prior to her appointment, Martha served as the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020. Are those numbers correct, or should they be revisited? The original idea was that wolves would have a higher degree of protection until they were recovered, at which point they would be reclassified as a furbearer or game animal. She previously worked as an attorney for FWP from 1998 to 2011 and for two years as a solicitor at the Department of the Interior. Fish and Wildlife Service, speaks at a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last year. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? Democrats said it will weaken Montanans right to participate in government decisions. In the early days, Ausband explained, monitoring wolves in the Northern Rockies was straightforward. Williams, Haaland highlight Montana projects. After leaving the Forest Service in 2014, Amanda worked for Outside magazine as an editorial fellow before joining Outlaw Partners staff to lead coverage for Explore Big Sky newspaper and contribute writing and editing to Explore Yellowstone and Mountain Outlaw magazines. If you wish to give again during our spring fundraiser, know that your additional gift, be it one-time or recurring, makes a monumental impact in helping quality independent journalism thrive. The Federal Indian Child Welfare Act is at risk. Can you talk through ways of easing that conflict? Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. Growing up on a farm in Maryland, Martha Williams gained an appreciation for open lands, waters, wildlife, and people.