Gray Wolf Changes Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. After nearly 20 years since Gray Wolves were back in Washington state, calls are being made to update the wolf management plan.
Pam Lewison, Ag Director at the Washington Policy Center, says the regulations for wolf management differ across the state …
LEWISON … “There is still federal and state regulations that we have to juggle. So, that’s the first thing to bear in mind is that the state doesn't have carte blanche to do whatever it wishes statewide, so we have to keep that in mind.”
The wolf population in northeastern Washington, Lewison says has become a problem for ranchers …
LEWISON … “I think the thing that people need to understand is that once wolves are habituated to killing livestock, what they discover is that it’s an easy meal. So, they’re not interested in hunting deer and elk because they’re harder to hunt.”
Moving the wolves, Lewison says isn’t allowed …
LEWISON … “So, that’s where it goes back to, we need to revisit the management plan and figure out, is that the solution? Can we expedite this process of moving these animals to somewhere else to see if they can thrive in that environment.”
House Bill 1442 proposed a new approach to management that would have given counties the ability to develop localized approaches to wolf management but failed to make it out of committee.
