Wolf Delisting Pt 2
I’m Bob Larson. The Gray Wolf has been ‘Delisted’ … meaning the population of the once endangered wolves is no longer considered a problem with numbers having increased significantly over the past two decades.
Tom Davis, with the Washington Farm Bureau, says delisting of the Gray Wolf does NOT mean its suddenly open season on wolves …
DAVIS … “This doesn’t mean that the wolves now have lost all the protections that they have enjoyed under the federal Endangered Species Act. They will now come under transition to state management and our state Fish and Wildlife has developed a tremendous amount of expertise over the last decade, working with the wolves, managing the wolves and they will continue the protections that are necessary to maintain that viable population.”
This, Davis says is a better plan …
DAVIS … “But now it will give us greater flexibility to also, statewide, protect the livelihood and economic viability of our livestock producers, which, prior to this, that eastern one-third of the state was delisted federally and the rest of the state was still listed. And, that made no sense. This puts sense back into the whole thing by managing the state in one, uniform manner.”
And, Davis says this does not signal the end of Gray Wolves …
DAVIS … “They will be protected just like other wildlife species are protected under our state law.”
Listen tomorrow for more on the Gray Wolf delisting and the challenges the decision will likely face.
