Dear Montana

Christine Goulet, Ayer, MA

There’s a part of me that wishes that we had never met. That I had never shared your natural beauty with my family–three generations worth. That I had never marveled at your “Big Sky” and vast wilderness, glaciers, crystal clear waters, and majestic forests and mountains. That I never was awestruck from the pure magic in seeing wildlife such as wolves, grizzlies, elk, pronghorn, coyotes, eagles, osprey, moose, and bighorn sheep grace the landscape. Simply put, there’s a part of me that wishes that I had never fallen in love with you because my heart aches.

My love for you turned sour in 2023 when I became aware of the vicious hunts and trappings, illegal poaching, unethical baiting and mistreatment of gray wolves. These deplorable actions are now tarnishing Montana’s reputation as a state which once valued and respected wildlife and the natural world. I am ashamed to say I was once unaware of what is happening to wolves. How ironic that a day that will forever be one of the most joyous in my life in seeing wild wolves, has also been tarnished by learning about the reality facing wolves and their daily struggle to survive. They are continually being caught in the crosshairs of politics, misinformation and disinformation.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is now proposing to kill 500 wolves this upcoming season despite not even knowing the true population of this keystone species, and consciously denying the best available science, ignoring world-renowned biologists and the plethora of pleas coming from concerned citizens sounding the alarm. And for what? Montana, the wilderness is your soul and you are selling it to the lowest bidder whose only goal is to destroy and deprive others from joy that inherently comes from nature.

Sadly, I cannot turn back the clock to when I thought wolves were safe. It would be selfish of me to not think about the future that I would like for children and the rights and respect of Indigenous Nations and their culture. Selfish of me to not stand up against generational hate and ignorance for a species that has been damned since colonization and which I will call systemic species-ism.   

Beautiful Montana, please be a voice for wolves on August 21st, 8:30 am in Helena or online and stand up for their protection. We cannot let history repeat itself. After all, this fight for wolves is not just for wolves, but it is the fight for the future of our public and wild lands which have symbolized this nation since time immemorial.