The aftermath of the well-known incident involving a Wyoming wolf being hit by a Daniel man on a snowmobile, severely injured, and taken into a bar has led to federal legislation proposing to ban this practice.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) introduced a bill known as the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act, which aims to prohibit the act of running over and killing wildlife with motorized vehicles on certain types of federal land. This bipartisan bill was presented on Thursday, as stated by Gabrielle Lipsky, a staffer for the congresswoman from South Carolina, who shared a statement on behalf of her boss.
“Our federal lands should not be a place for reckless and aggressive behavior,” Mace stated. “This bill is intended to protect the safety and beauty of our natural spaces and ensure that wildlife can thrive without the threat of harm from motor vehicles.”
Congressmen Don Davis (D-North Carolina), Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), and Troy Carter (D-Louisiana) are co-sponsors of the bill, despite being from southern states not typically associated with snowmobiling. The bill was prompted by lobbying efforts from animal rights and environmental organizations, primarily led by Wayne Pacelle, a former president of the Humane Society of the United States who now heads Animal Wellness Action.
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“We have given state authorities ample time to address the issue on their own,” Pacelle informed members of the Wyoming media during a press call on Thursday. “That’s why we are taking action here.”
Simultaneously, alongside the bill that will be reviewed by Congress, the Wyoming Legislature will also have the opportunity to pass legislation in response to the wolf incident in Sublette County. The state-level legislation, in its current form, would explicitly allow the running over of certain predator species with motorized vehicles, with the condition that they must be quickly euthanized after impact.
Pacelle presented the bill to U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming, who did not show support for it.
“With all due respect to my colleagues from the south, we do not need representatives from areas where snowmobiling is not common trying to regulate our western lifestyle,” Lummis stated to WyoFile.
Efforts to regulate the act of running over animals with snowmobiles have faced opposition from the livestock industry.
“I have spoken with numerous livestock producers in the state, particularly sheep producers, who see it as one of their most effective tools for predator control,” Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, expressed to WyoFile in July.
Pacelle faced resistance from industry groups while advocating for the bill nationally. He had been working with Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) on sponsoring the legislation, but it did not progress.
“I believe the Texas Farm Bureau and possibly the Safari Club International were influential in this,” Pacelle mentioned.
Although Safari Club International is a hunting organization, conservation groups associated with hunting have generally supported a ban on running over animals with snowmobiles, a recreational activity in some parts of Wyoming.
Pacelle believes that the widespread support for animal welfare is the reason why seemingly unusual allies in Congress have come together to sponsor the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act.
“These lawmakers are deeply committed to animal welfare,” he said. “Their decision to introduce the bill today reaffirms their belief that cruelty to animals is unacceptable.”
The SAW Act is modeled after a concise state statute from Minnesota dating back to 1986: “A person may not use a motor vehicle to intentionally drive, chase, run over, kill, or take a wild animal.”
However, the SAW Act incorporates additional provisions. It includes fines of up to $5,000 and imprisonment for up to one year for intentionally running over, striking, or killing a wild animal on public lands using a motor vehicle.
There are exceptions outlined in the SAW Act. Individuals using a snowmobile or motor vehicle would not be liable if they struck wildlife to protect themselves or others from harm or to prevent property damage. Wildlife officials following a preexisting wildlife management plan would also not be in violation if they ran over animals.
As currently drafted, the SAW Act defines public land managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, excluding U.S. Forest Service-managed land under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal land managers in Wyoming have indicated a lack of authority to prohibit killing wildlife with snowmobiles, though there is ongoing debate over wildlife policy jurisdiction and federal laws restricting certain hunting practices.
