Wolf Management Plan public input meetings begin tonight
Washington Ag Today October 20, 2009 The first of what will be 12 public meetings for input on the draft wolf management plan for Washington begin tonight. A final environmental impact statement will be made after a three-month public comment period and then a plan will be presented to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is expected to consider next year whether to adopt the state wolf plan. The draft plan is the preferred alternative, which would require the state to have 15 breeding pairs before the gray wolf is delisted as an endangered species. Speaking to the Spokane Ag Bureau last week Republican State Representative Joel Kretz said that would mean about 150 wolves. Kretz: “That is a lot of wolves for this state. I think it is way too many. There was some differences of opinion in agriculture. There is a minority report that is pretty critical of the outcome. I know the folks in agriculture that signed off on the plan their feeling was we really need to work on the compensation issue. So I think they got a better deal on that but it is really controversial with anybody in agriculture and livestock particularly right now. It is going to have a huge impact.” Washington as two confirmed breeding wolf packs now. All 12 public meetings are from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and the first is tonight in Clarkston at the Walla Walla Community College lecture hall. There is a meeting Wednesday in Richland at the Pacific NW National Lab auditorium. Yakima will have a meeting Thursday the 22nd at the Red Lion Hotel Yakima Center. Next week meetings will be in Colville, Spokane, Aberdeen and Vancouver. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
