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. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Previously, Williams was an Assistant Professor of Law at the Blewett School of Law at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. Every little piece and investment allows people to build support for the refuges and to see that we care about investing in them, too, people and communities. Montana Free Press is rooted in Montana, and its thanks to you, Jeannie and all our members that our nonprofit newsroom continues to grow. Its the Services response to a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity that demands the prohibition of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on national wildlife refuges. 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. The nomination was celebrated by both environmental groups and an array of hunting interests. As you do in all leadership, you show the way. He was editor on the podcasts Shared State and Fireline, and producer on the podcasts Threshold and Richest Hill. Generally, game animals, like elk or deer, can be hunted but not trapped, while furbearers, like otters or bobcats, can be trapped but not hunted. The agency announced Wednesday that she will be serving as a principal deputy director of the U.S. 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. The first has to do with how wolf populations in the region are estimated. Daines support for Williams comes after his vehement opposition to another Montana nominee, Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning. Sign up for theCapitolizednewsletter and stay up-to-date on the latest legislative developments during the session. Links also do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Ryan Devereaux[emailprotected]theintercept.com@rdevro. MW: The FWS does so much more than implement the ESA. 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.. And that social piecenot putting the onus just on the tolerance of communities that live with bears or wolves, but also those who dont like to see management-dependent speciesthey want to see species that arent reliant on state or federal management. In August, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the director for failing to meet the deadline in the wolf status review. Fish and Wildlife Service in a voice vote late yesterday evening. The U.S. 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. How big it is, I dont know.. After her graduation from beauty school, she moved to Havre, MT, to be near her sisters. Martha Williams is an American attorney and government official who is the current director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded $3.4 million in funding from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for cooperative agreements with the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada and the Tahoe Martha Williams was sworn in as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service by Secretary Deb Haaland today. 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. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester wrote in a letter to the committee that Williams would bring a wealth of real-world experience and leadership to the directors post. Another piece of the Great American Outdoors Act is that it also funded 70 wage-grade positions around the country. USFWS is within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. Seeking confirmation as director of the U.S. It seems to me that sportsmen and women have a conflicted relationship with the USFWS. Montana Free Press is rooted in Montana, and its thanks to readers like you who love our state that our nonprofit newsroom continues to grow. 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. The agency also administers the Endangered Species Act. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency tasked with conserving and protecting fish, wildlife and plants. Republican lawmakers supported the bill, saying it will help unwind a recent court decision over a gas plant under construction. The timing was critical. Outdoor Life: Lets lead with grizzly bears, which are still under federal endangered-species protection though population benchmarks for recovery have been met. Prior to joining Montana Free Press staff in 2021 Amanda was a freelance writer, researcher and interviewer. Wildlife and natural resource conservation rests with all of us, she said. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Biden Administration. An official liaison between the Montana Trappers Association and FWP, the state lawmaker was in the middle of passing his own legislation expanding the tools like indiscriminate neck snares that could be employed in Montanas not necessarily ethical campaign to kill hundreds of wolves. There she oversaw management of nearly 700 employees and more than 50 state parks. But there are international wildlife affairs, theres refuges, theres fisheries and aquatic conservation, theres science application, theres the Partners program. Fish and Wildlife Service director post by President Joe Biden in October. Following the 2009 delisting, FWP issued regulations each year explaining to hunters and trappers what they could and could not do in pursuit of wolves. Williams was the director of FWP in Montana from 2017 to 2020. Williams is a hunter and an angler. MTFP is rooted in Montana, and its readers like you who help our newsroom grow. Once in Havre, she began working for Just Plain Janes salon. Please reload the page and try again. On July 20, the day The Intercepts wolf investigation went live, Cam Sholly, the superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, sent a letter to Montanas game commissioners arguing that using telemetry to hunt wolves violated the fair chase principle, which holds that human hunters do not take unfair advantage of nonhuman prey, and requested that this prohibition be re-inserted into your regulations.. Interior Department. On the one hand, the Service provides access, essential fish and wildlife management and funding, and facilitates things like the federal duck stamp. Id point to the ground work and partnerships that culminate in the Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances as an example of that. At a court hearing in February, Hawkaluk described how Williamss review committee concluded that wolves were not in fact protected from aerial hunting under state law. Montanas wolf season was over by that point. Scott Creel, a large carnivore population ecologist with Montana State University, has also found problems in the states model, describing considerable doubt about the accuracy of population estimates from the iPOM in a critique published last year. She was appointed to the FWP post in 2017. Your support helps quality Montana journalism thrive! 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. I believe Montana and the country would be well-served with her at the helm of the U.S. Williams returned to FWP as director the following year. of would-be replacements plays out. Dave Parsons, a retired wildlife biologist who led the FWS reintroduction of wolves in the Southwest in the 1990s, was one of the few voices of public dissent. [1], Williams graduated from Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Maryland,[2][3] then earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana. In her tenure, terms such as social justice, racial equity, and the logo The Outside Is In Us All entered FWPs lexicon. How do we get more people to understand or want to care about birds or plants or water, much less big game? It just got harder to keep collars out, Ausband said. 00:04:49 Ms. Martha Williams, Montana Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks, Director . Just award-winning local journalism for the people, by the people. As State Director, Williams delivered leadership that embraced the diversity of Montanas natural resources and outdoor recreational values that also incorporated public expectations and values into the agencys direction. 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). I think its just so convoluted now that it would take an overhaul to crack that, and I think a lot of folks of whatever view on wolves are probably a bit concerned about opening the can of worms, she said. 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. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for enforcing the Endangered Species Act, Williams is arguably the most important. Thank you for supporting homegrown news. Join Jeannie and other MTFP members in helping us reach our spring fundraising goal by setting up a recurring donation today. In addition to teaching fundamental environmental law courses related to public lands and resources, property, climate change climate change Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. FWP dealt with a number of difficult and often contentious issues during her tenure grizzly bear management, the introduction of aquatic invasive species, and the spread of chronic wasting disease, to name a few. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for enforcing the Endangered Species Act, Williams is arguably the most important official in Washington for saving wildlife amid the ongoing mass extinction crisis. Before that, he worked in Montana in a USGS unit focused on wolf recovery post-delisting. In DOIs announcement highlighting Williams hire along with that of 20 other Interior Department employees Jennifer Van der Heide, President Joe Bidens chief of staff, said, We look forward to working with the dedicated civil servants at the Department to fulfill Interiors missions, advance President Bidens vision to honor our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes and uphold the trust and treaty responsibilities to them, address the climate and nature crises, and build a clean energy future that creates good-paying jobs and powers our nation. Montana Free Press is rooted in Montana, and its thanks to you, Jeannie and all our members that our nonprofit newsroom continues to grow. Williams led the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020 under Democratic Gov. 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 Each state estimates their own population and theres really none of those debates about border packs anymore, Ausband said. There is at least some evidence that hunters may have attempted to take advantage of the new opportunity. The department cannot enforce laws that are not applicable and did not wish to imply that the regulation applied to wolves, Wakeling wrote. Love you guys!!. Thats what America the Beautiful is all about. Fish and Wildlife Service and write to you in support of advancing her nomination quickly.. William's replacement within Montana Gov. Democrats said it will weaken Montanans right to participate in government decisions. No name calling. director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, "Williams Takes Over as Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director", "FWS pick Martha Williams saddles up for a challenge", "UM Associate Law Professor Named Head of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks", "Williams nominated to lead US Fish and Wildlife Service", "USFWS - Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams", "White House taps Martha Williams to head FWS", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martha_Williams_(lawyer)&oldid=1131233360, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 05:14. On Wednesday, Gov. Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. On March 8, 2022, Williams was sworn in as the 23rd Director of the U.S. MW: Ive thought about this a lot. Greg Gianforte's cabinet was also named today. Fish and Wildlife Service director; Mike Finley, Yellowstone superintendent; and Bruce Babbitt, secretary of the interior, in January 1995. Together their demands reflect the contentious state of predator politics in the Northern Rockies. When Williams appeared before lawmakers in November, the issue never came up. In the portion ofMontanathat abuts Yellowstone Park, the death toll of 19 wolves marked a342 percent increasefrom the previous decades annual average of four. Both efforts would play key roles in the wolf review she is now overseeing as director of the nations most important wildlife agency. 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. So we remain really committed to always looking for increased opportunities for access, including providing access to the outdoors on national wildlife refuges to those who havent had access before. Early one morning last February, a group of ecotourism guides gathered with their clients north of Yellowstone National Parks boundary line. And so here we stand.. She had once again joined a government agency facing a historic moment for wolves. Its what I think about, its what I see, smell, hear and dream about, she told the committee. Representative Rhonda Knudsen, House District 34 . Fish and Wildlife Service in the Biden Administration. As the supervisory period wore on, however, the money ran dry. The ranger told me that, following his kill, he became the subject of a National Park Service investigation in which he and other Yellowstone law enforcement officials were accused falsely, he said of sharing location information on collared wolves with hunters outside the park. Its awesome that [USFWS] got $95 million for deferred maintenance, but we have a $1.5 billion maintenance backlog. Polly graduated from Bemidji High School in 1961, and began attending the Duluth School of Beauty Culture soon after. Martha Williams is the new U.S. The Biden-Harris administration today announced that the Department of the Interiors U.S. Prior to heading FWP, she taught at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana, working for a time as a solicitor at the Department of Interior, and was a lawyer at FWP from 1998 to 2011. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., pressed Williams on whether grizzly bears should be delisted around Yellowstone National Park. Prior to her appointment, Martha served as the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020. Ms. Martha Williams, Montana Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks, Director Senator Mike Lang, Senate District 17 . Tour routes of great scenic drives on National Wildlife Refuges. Fish and Wildlife Service is a victory for Montana, our outdoor economy and heritage, and for every American that happens to care about our nations greatest natural treasures: our public lands and wildlife., Martha Williams confirmation to lead the U.S. Just award-winning local journalism for the people, by the people. Former Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Director Martha Williams has been confirmed by the Senate as the new director of U.S. She was an avid Vikings and Minnesota Twins fan. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources. Previously, Martha was an Assistant Professor of Law at the Blewett School of Law at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana where she co-directed the university's Land Use and Natural Resources Clinic. Williams was recruited to her first Interior Department stint the following year. A man had pulled up in a pickup truck. MW: Im excited to have resources that we havent had in a long time, and not just dollars. Greg Gianforte announced on Wednesday his pick for state health department director.Gianforte tapped Adam Meier to lead the, Montana Public Radio | If you dont know how many wolves there are on the land, he asked, then how are you going to evaluate the threats to that population?. Williams was the first female director of Montana FWP. You are local, available where I look for news, and bring an alternative voice to the national news. It doesnt seem to fit what that law was created to do, Hawkaluk told me, reiterating that she was speaking for herself. They were hoping to spot a mountain lion when a flash of unusual human activity caught their attention instead. Williams was the first woman to lead Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks under former Democratic Gov. How Williams navigated the requirement is unclear. 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. I feel like weve come a long ways, from saying this is who we are and you can join us or not. We want everyone to feel welcome, and do what we can to feel they belong in the outdoors. Gianforte stacked the most important posts in Montanas wildlife decision-making apparatus from Williamss old job atop FWP to the commissioners who create policy for the department with campaign contributors, a former running mate, and representatives of aggressively pro-wolf hunting interests. In January, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public works approved her nomination as director of the U.S. Because the people who want to see a reduction in the wolf numbers are very serious about it, and theyre using these flawed outputs to support their positions.. In 2002, the agency announced that the criteria had been met. Montana Sage Grouse Oversight Team (MSGOT) March 24, 2021: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. . If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Williams will become the second major Montana appointee to work under U.S. That to me is very much what we have to think about when we think about wolves and bears and other predators: how do we make sure that recovery is continuous? Montana news with context and care. Aimee Hawkaluk was a staff attorney at FWP from 2012 until January of this year. Williams faced an array of questions from senators sitting on the committee. OL: Wildlife refuges, like many national parks, are showing their age. The move was unprecedented and political: Tester was up for reelection in one of the most important races of 2012, facing an opponent who claimed that he was out of touch with rural voters on the wolf issue. DOI and the bureaus do not guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act. Martha has a wealth of knowledge and experience in managing public wildlife, public lands and waters, and striking that balance between people and wildlife in the many complex issues around these incredible resources.. We all play roles in this important American model, and it is with a strong commitment to collaborative conservation that we can achieve our collective goals.. [4], From 1998 to 2011, Williams served as legal counsel to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Williams has essentially served as acting director of the wildlife agency since Jan. 20, 2021, when she was named principal deputy director. Thank you for supporting homegrown news. More recently, bison management has been on her radar. Get MTFP's in-depth, independent reporting sent to your inbox every weekday morning. Lucky for us at USFWS, it fits squarely within our wheelhouse in delivering conservation. Montana and Idaho now under legal obligation to reduce their wolf populations, and lawmakers have made clear their intent to cut those numbers to the bone. 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. A long-held secret. When she was named director of FWP, she highlighted her background working in several different agency divisions: law enforcement, parks management, wildlife conservation and public education. Steve Bullock. OL: While were on the topic of recovery and management of predators, lets talk about wolves, which were removed from federal protection but which have been aggressively managed under state authority, to the degree that some have petitioned that Western wolves be returned to federal protection. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, Amanda spent four years working with the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter. She served on the committee that Williams convened to review regulations. Few people have had as close a relationship to those questions as David Ausband. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. MTFP is rooted in Montana, and its readers like you who help our newsroom grow. The review committee conducted its work over two years,reaching some of the critical conclusions on the technology that could be used to hunt wolves after Williams packed up for her return to Washington in 2021. The Federal Indian Child Welfare Act is at risk. In the closing days of the session, a duel or a duet? Democrats said it will weaken Montanans right to participate in government decisions. 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. Im trying to save my old agency, for crying out loud, he said. Steve Bullock, a post she held from 2017 to 2020. The day before the story broke, Brian Wakeling, FWPs game management bureau chief, wrote to the guide who had recognized the hunter and explained that hunting wolves with telemetry gear was legal in Montana contradicting the statement his colleague gave to The Intercept just six days earlier. She then spent two years as a deputy solicitor for the Interior Department, which oversees the USFWS. Williams pointed to the court decisions, saying that while populations are robust, the USFWS must also meet those other criteria. She also served a term as the Vice President of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Williams, Haaland highlight Montana projects. Will they trust in their love? Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements. Ms. Martha Williams, Montana Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks, Director (Absent, no proxy) Senator Mike Lang, Senate District 17 . It recognizes private property rights. As a top attorney and later as a director, Williamss career is defined by her years in Montanas Fish, Wildlife and Parks, better known as FWP. Published Apr 13, 2022 3:45 PM EDT. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. I think a lot of folks of whatever view on wolves are probably a bit concerned about opening the can of worms. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Paulette Martha Williams, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store. Polly was born on December 19, 1942, in Bagley, MN, to Olaf and Julia (Hanson) Amundson, the youngest of five girls. Sign up for our free daily newsletter to get unbiased, independent Montana news sent directly to you. She also served as legal counsel to FWP from 1998 to 2011, when wolf reintroduction was a hot-button issue for the agency. She was raised in Bagley, attending school there. These are maintenance action teams have really focused on the smaller infrastructure projects in communitiesfishing platforms or hunting blinds or nature trails or auto routes. Once wolves were recovered, the states game commissioners would decide which of Montanas more conventional categories fit the animals best. 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