Wolf Advisory Group Update

Wolf Advisory Group Update

Wolf Advisory Group Update. I’m Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

Francine Madden, Executive Director, Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration gives us an update on how things have been going with the Wolf Advisory Group that’s been tasked with finding solutions to the wolf issue in the state.

MADDEN: So this family, I believe they’re the largest sheep producer in Washington stepped forward and said, let’s do it for our operation and it was really amazing. First of all the producer family was awesome and they were very receptive and welcoming and this is uncharted territory for all sides but they said here’s our operation, here are the preventative measures we’re already doing, what more do you feel like you need to see for you to feel comfortable that if these don’t work we can go to lethal control and you will be supportive of it.

She says everyone felt like this was a very valuable and important step.

MADDEN: In starting to be able to have that partnership and that trust and that respect and understanding between the two different sides and be able to demonstrate that they could work together and come up with something that was better by them working together then by them working apart.

More meetings are planned for March and May. Lethal control is still one of the issues that needs to be revisited.

MADDEN: Because that’s been a source of contention in the past and so now they’re saying what can we come up with so that as we go into this grazing season and future grazing seasons each side has certainty, they have increasing confidence in the process and then when lethal control needs to be used, everybody can be okay with that.

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

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