Associated Press - April 14, 2011 2:04 PM ET
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter is hopeful Congress will delist wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, so he's waiting to see what happens in Washington, D.C. before signing a bill that would allow him to declare a wolf disaster emergency in Idaho.
If Congress follows through, Otter says Idaho would win state control of the predators - making signing the measure passed by the state Idaho House and Senate this month unnecessary.
Otter says the congressional delisting measure inserted into a complex federal budget measure by U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson "gives control back to the state...where it should have been all along."
Idaho's measure would let Otter enlist local law enforcement agents to reduce Idaho's wolf population, which at 800 animals makes up about half of the wolves in the region.
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Like I stated above, last year we had over 1100 in this state they said...funny how they now are saying 700-800.
