Biased article

Dear Editor,
I am writing to comment on the front page article in your June 29th edition titled “Elk Foundation moves to protect appellate rights in wolf decision.”
After reading the article, it strongly appears it was written by David Allen, the CEO of RMEF, and not someone from your paper. It should have been on your opinion page, as it is not an objective article, nor was it news reporting.  It has several questionable statements in it, but the one that gravels me the most is the comment in the second paragraph that, “Molloy is expected to hear arguments soon from animal rights groups and environmental extremists…”
What kind of statement is that? It is totally judgmental and unfounded. In the same line of thinking, one could say the RMEF is a bunch of rednecks who want more elk to shoot. In reality, David Allen is managing a business, and under his leadership the RMEF has moved much closer to groups such as the NRA (of which I am a member) and the livestock industry.
Allen’s comment that this is a setback for “science-based wildlife management” is totally bogus. The FWP is run by politicians who make all final decisions. Science-based? You mean like Idaho’s “no quota” wolf season that is being considered by their commission next week? My wife and I have seen many wolves in Idaho and one here in the Bitterroot, and each experience has been exciting and meaningful to us. Yes, wolves do eat some livestock and some elk, but in the case of livestock those numbers are virtually nothing compared to the ten thousand or so head lost each year to all causes. This whole anti-wolf thing (now being entered by our commissioners) is mostly hysteria.
I don’t consider myself an extremist or animal rightist. I do make contributions to local animal shelters (if that makes me a radical, then I guess I may be), and I do support wilderness, wildlife, and a clean environment, but maybe that’s extremist in your view. Although I don’t think my being a member of the National Rifle Association for 34 years fits this stereotype well.
Anyway, please give this controversy objective reporting in the future. This kind of writing simply polarizes it more.
Michael Koeppen
Florence