Freudenthal and Other Governors Meet with President

Washington, DC – Dave Fruedenthal is attending the National Governors' Association meeting in Washington, DC and got a chance to sit down and talk with President Bush Monday morning. Freudenthal isn't sure much new ground was broken, but says it was a useful meeting. The Governor did not use the opportunity to question the President on Wyoming's big federal issue right now, the dispute over wolf management. He says the wolf issue probably isn't on President Bush's radar screen and he thinks a regional topic probably wasn't appropriate in that venue. Freudenthal did talk wolves with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, and says Norton is concerned about how litigation by Wyoming could slow the delisting process. The Governor says he told Norton that litigation wouldn't be happening if it weren't for the Department of Interior changing positions. Still Freudenthal says the conversation was not angry, but rather, two people trying to solve a problem.