WHEREAS, the Provincial Department of Lands and Forests has carried out extensive field research on the ecology of the gray wolf in Ontario; and
WHEREAS, in the Ontario Legislature, the Minister of Lands and Forests, the Honourable Rene Brunelle, has recently stated his Department's intention to control predators only where necessary to protect livestock, to use traps rather than poison in control programs, and to maintain, rather than increase, the present wolf bounty;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists at its 1967 annual meeting on June 21, commends the Government of the Province of Ontario and the Minister of Lands and Forests for their responsible predator research and management policies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists respectfully urges the Government of the Province of Ontario to continue its research on gray wolves, particularly in relation to big game in forested areas, to maintain stocks of gray wolves in those parts of the Province not devoted to agriculture, consistent with the needs and desires of all segments of society who use natural environments and, in particular, to ensure the survival of the gray wolf in Ontario as a component of the natural environment over wide areas of the Province; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists respectfully requests the Government of Ontario to perpetuate the wolf bounty only so long as it is satisfied that it plays a useful role in the management of wolves in the Province of Ontario; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Honourable John P. Robarts, Q.C., Prime Minister of Ontario, and the Honourable Rene Brunelle, Minister of Lands and Forests of Ontario.