TABLE OF CONTENTS i 



LIST OF TABLES iv 



LIST OF FIGURES vii 



CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION 1 



Introduction 1 



Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action 1 



Benefits of the Proposed Action 2 



Decisions to be Made 2 



Other Agencies that have Jurisdiction or Responsibility 2 



Pubhc Involvement Process 3 



Issues Identified through Public Scoping and Evaluated in the EIS 5 



Issues not Evaluated in the EIS 8 



CHAPTER 2: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 13 



A Review of the Gray Wolf in Montana 13 



History 13 



Current Population Status and Distribution 13 



Ecology 15 



Social and Cultural Values 22 



Legal Status and Classification under Montana Statutes 22 



FWP Administration 23 



FWP Funding 24 



Wildlife Resources 25 



Categories of Wildlife Defined in Montana Statutes 25 



Wolf-Prey Relationships 26 



Wildlife Habitat 30 



Plant Species of Special Concern 30 



Noxious Weeds 31 



Land Management 31 



Travel/Access Management 31 



Connectivity 31 



Wolf Den and Rendezvous Sites 32 



Economics / Livelihoods 32 



Livestock Depredation 32 



Big Game Hunting 37 



Outfitted Hunting 45 



Regional Economics 47 



Recreational and Social Values 50 



FWP Fiscal Environment 54 



Human Safety 55 



Wolf-Human Encounters 56 



Wolf Monitoring 58 



Private Property 59 



Hybrids 60 



Cultural, Archaeological, and Historical Resources 61 



Physical Environment 61 



Air 61 



Soil 61 



Aquatics, Water Quality, and Fisheries 61 



