This new directive reverses state’s previous rejection of petition by Wolf advocates
See Governor Inslee's September 4 letter here (PDF)
Take action HERE:
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). Photo courtesy of Jim Peaco, National Park
Service
In a win for wolf advocates, Gov. Jay Inslee directed the Washington Fish
and Wildlife Commission today to draft new rules governing the killing of
wolves involved in conflicts with livestock. This action reverses the
commission’s denial of a petition filed by advocates in May that called for
reforms of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s lethal
wolf-management policies.
“This is a tremendous victory for Washington’s wolves and all of us who have
been speaking out against the state’s relentless wolf-killing,” said Sophia
Ressler, a Washington wildlife advocate at the Center for Biological
Diversity. “We’re hopeful that the development of enforceable
wolf-management rules will finally protect our recovering wolf population
and make wildlife officials accountable to the public they serve.”
The new rules will address the use of nonlethal measures to avoid
livestock-wolf conflicts. They will likely further examine chronic conflict
areas where the state has killed wolves year after year.
The state has killed 34 wolves since 2012. Twenty-nine were killed for the
same livestock owner in prime wolf habitat in the Colville National Forest.
After the Fish and Wildlife Commission denied the wolf advocates’ petition
in June, the groups appealed to the governor, who had 45 days to decide
whether to deny the appeal or require the commission to create new
wolf-management rules.
Gov. Inslee’s decision requires the commission to start a formal rulemaking
process, which includes giving notice to the public and creating an
opportunity to comment on proposed rules. The timeline for this process will
be available on the department’s website when the rulemaking is announced.
“The governor's decision to approve this petition is a necessary step in
cleaning up the mess the Department has made of wolf management,” said
Jocelyn Leroux, Washington and Montana Director for Western Watersheds
Project. “This decision will give a voice to the majority of Washingtonians
that do not want to see wolves needlessly slaughtered year after year at the
charge of a few livestock producers.”
“Demonstrating a commitment to environmental leadership, Gov. Inslee has put
the Department on notice: It’s time for fair rules, and public transparency,
when it comes to Washington’s iconic wolves,” said Samantha Bruegger, a
wildlife coexistence campaigner at WildEarth Guardians.
“We are so encouraged by this action from Governor Inslee," said Nick Cady,
legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Enforceable rules around wolf
management that incentivize non-lethal techniques and ensure predictable
agency responses have been necessary from the beginning. Rules eliminate
knee-jerk responses that inflame parties on all sides and make the agency
accountable to the public.”
Number of animals killed in the world by the fishing, meat, dairy and egg industries, since you opened this webpage.
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