State and federal officials are considering the establishment of a sizeable trust fund to pay for conservation efforts related to grizzly bears and wolves in the Northern Rockies.
Grizzlies in and around Yellowstone National Park were recently taken off the threatened species list, and there is movement towards revoking the wolves' status as endangered.
Right now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spends about six-millon dollars each year managing the animals in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. But much that spending is expected to be rechannelled as grizzly and wolf populations thrive.
To cover the costs of research and protection, state and federal officials are making plans to establish a trust fund that would distribute financial aid to wildlife agencies as needed. The trust could range from tens of millions to 100 million dollars. The funds would, in part, help pay the salaries of wildlife biologists and the purchase of radio collars. Congress would be asked to fund the bulk of the trust.
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