Barrasso Wants Answers from Interior Secretary Nominee

Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo) used the confirmation hearing of Interior Secretary Nominee Ken Salazar to probe the Obama nominee on issues vital to Wyoming.

"It is important for Wyoming that we understand the position of the incoming Administration on snowmobiles in parks and wolf management." Barrasso said.

Wolf Management

"Wyoming has achieved every agreed recovery goal for the Rocky Mountain gray wolf.  Yet, recent court decisions and actions by the Fish and Wildlife Service have put the wolf back on the Endangered Species list in Wyoming, while excluding other Idaho and Montana."

"We in Wyoming are outraged with this situation. I urge Secretary Nominee Salazar to instruct his Department to fix this absurd situation as quickly as possible," Barrasso said.

"Management of gray wolves needs to be under Wyoming control, not Washington’s. This is a Washington created problem that requires a Wyoming solution. Until a delisting decision occurs, we should be given more, not less, flexibility in the management of the wolves," Barrasso said

Snowmobiles

"Winter access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks has been hijacked by special interest groups. Activists talk about access to our nation’s crown jewels as if it’s an environmental litmus test."

It’s necessary to understand that snowmobile management plans are the result of years of collaboration between Wyoming stakeholders and federal officials.  Wyoming’s gateway communities have provided opportunities for visitors to access the parks for more than a century.  These communities depend upon sustainable policies for land management, and the entire state benefits from the tourism and recreation of our visitors," Barrasso said.

"Wyoming is in the best position to determine how the parks should be managed, not an environmental group from San Francisco."