Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke
Issue link: http://conservationnw.uberflip.com/i/122775
Getting wilder Jasmine Minbashian, Special projects director, jasmine@conservationnw.org of breeding or new pups have emerged this spring, and local biologists believe the future of this pack is all but lost. Worse yet, the severe reduction of this pack is likely the result of illegal killing. The federal and state cases of poaching are ongoing against those charged with the crime. To address this major challenge to wolf recovery in Washington, Conservation Northwest recently partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to establish a state reward fund to apprehend poachers who illegally kill Washington's endangered wildlife, including wolves and grizzly bears. Despite this major setback, wolves are returning to other parts of the state, with two new packs documented this summer, one south of the Lookout pack in the Teanaway area of the Cascades, the other near the Selkirks of Washington and Idaho. This is an important year for the future of wolves in Washington. By the end of this year, Washington's Fish and Wildlife Commission will vote on a final Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, which has been in the works for more than three years. This visionary plan is strong enough to conserve, manage, and recover wolves in a balanced way that will ease the transition for everyone. Earlier this year, a federal budget rider stripped Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for Rocky Mountain wolf populations, which includes wolves in the eastern third of Washington, where now three of the state's confirmed packs live: the Salmo, Diamond, and Smackout packs. These packs are now the responsibility of Washington state and are managed under state law. Having a viable state plan in place for wolf conservation and management is immensely important. We are just beginning to see the return of wolves to Washington, and only time will tell whether Washington is a state where wolves come to die or if it's the beginning of a grand natural recovery throughout the Pacific Northwest. Teanaway wolf in the Cascades, April 2011, documented on remote camera. There are now five confirmed packs in the state, including the newest, the Smackout pack, near Abercrombie Mountain in the Columbia Highlands. Western Transportation Institute Take action Wolves are on the upswing in Washington. But wolves in the eastern third of our state recently lost federal endangered species protection, and poaching is a real and ongoing threat. This October and November is make or break time for Washington's wolves! Please take time to urge the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to approve the Department of Fish and Wildlife's science-based wolf recovery plan. Washington's wolves can't thrive or survive without a statewide management plan in place. Please take action! What you can do for wolves The Commission needs urgently to hear from you and the majority of people in Washington who support our wolves. They are already hearing in a big way from those who oppose wolves in our state. Attend a hearing for wolves in Olympia On Oct 6 & Nov 3, the Commission takes public testimony. Send a personal letter for wolves On Dec 2-3, the Commission votes to approve the plan. Before Dec 1, take action at conservationnw.org/wolves Here's why: • The wolf plan was developed through the hard work of a diverse group of stakeholders, reviewed by scientists, and publicly vetted across the state. A majority of the working group members support the plan. It is appropriate to honor the efforts of the stakeholder group and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and adopt the final plan. • According to scientists, a minimum of 15 breeding pairs must be present for 3 years and distributed across 3 recovery regions before wolves may be removed from protected status. • It is inappropriate to put a cap or an upper limit on the total number of wolves in Washington, since predators are self regulating. • Lethal "take" (legal killing of wolves) should only be used as a last resort, if non-lethal methods have proven unsuccessful. Contact the commissioners directly: Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission 600 Capitol Way North Olympia, WA 98501-1091 Phone: (360) 902-2267; Fax: (360) 902-2448 Keeping the Northwest wild Fall 2011 9