Newhouse Gray Wolf Amendment & West Nile

Newhouse Gray Wolf Amendment & West Nile. I’m Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

The House is expected to vote this week on Rep. Newhouse’s amendment to prohibit the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from using funds to continue listing the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act. Representative Newhouse said this would affect Washington, Oregon and Utah.

NEWHOUSE: Where they have confirmed - Fish and Wildlife Services have already confirmed that the populations recovering here and so then the states would have the management authority which they want. I’ve talked to people in our state Department of Fish and Wildlife, that’s absolutely something that they would like to have, they desire and are supporting this amendment.

West Nile virus is continuing to be found in many areas of the northwest. The latest confirmation was in Benton County. A woman in her 50’s has the first confirmed case in the state although most people who are infected won’t get sick. Mosquito samples from Franklin, Yakima and Grant counties have all tested positive for the virus. Besides humans, horses are very susceptible to the virus. Last year there were 12 people in the state who had contracted the virus. Six other states have reported the West Nile virus in humans. The worst year to date for Washington was in 2009 when 38 people contracted West Nile.

And that’s Washington Ag Today. I’m Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.