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/132231
Conservation Northwest updates Derrick Knowles Conservation associate, dknowles@conservationnw.org Good news for wolves and ranchers Wolf funding eases conflict In April, legislation passed creating a secure source of funds for non-lethal measures including range riding to help prevent and reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock. Funds will come from $10 added to the cost of a Washington vanity license plate. The change is expected to raise more than $1 million/year without raising taxes. This is great news for Washington's wolves and ranchers in wolf country who want to use proven methods to reduce conflicts with large carnivores. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission also passed a resolution authorizing a temporary rule permitting ranchers, farmers, and pet and livestock owners in federally delisted portions of the state (east of the Okanogan River) to kill a wolf in the act of attacking their animals. The emergency rule expands existing authority in the state wolf plan to allow such actions without a permit and to protect pets as well as livestock. For wolf recovery to be successful in Washington, Conservation Northwest believes it is essential to address both wildlife and human needs. Passage of funding for proven non-lethal efforts like range riders, livestock carcass removal, and other deterrents is a big win and absolutely essential to successfully implement the state's wolf plan. We also believe in providing people affected most by the return of wolves reasonable means to protect their pets and livestock. Recovering wolves will involve give and take for people on both sides of the issue. That said, we're urging the WDFW to clarify the definition of "attacking" and tighten the rules considerably when they propose a permanent version. Washington can be the state where we finally get beyond fighting over symbols, platforms, and positions and learn to coexist with wolves. A secure funding source for non-lethal tools is critical for that to happen; so is finding middle ground and improving social tolerance for wolves in those areas most affected by wolf recovery. We have hope that recent events will prove to be a positive step in the right direction towards making living with wolves in Washington possible. Got coastal wolves? Washington does! But they are about to lose protection The US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering eliminating protections for most wolves across the lower 48 states. Conservation Northwest supports protecting these wolves under the Endangered Species Act until they have fully recovered, especially vulnerable packs such as those returning to Washington's Cascade Mountains. Range rider Leisa Hill's son Nick takes a break in Smackout Pack territory. Leisa Hill "Having the unique opportunity to be Washington's first range rider, I found the work to be both challenging and enlightening. I gained valuable insight into the wolves' behavior. The 2012 season ended on a positive, no loss note. I look forward to the second year of the pilot program." —Leisa Hill Keeping the Northwest wild The wolves in western Washington deserve special protection, and we call on the agency to recognize Washington's Cascades wolves as a distinct population and continue to offer them protection. This approach would allow for higher federal poaching fines and greater accountability to recovery goals under the Washington Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. Cascade wolves include descendents of wolves living in coastal British Columbia, who lived separately from inland wolves for many generations. With fewer than twenty wolves in the Cascades, delisting is premature and not supported by science. Wolves in western Washington are pretty scarce, and at a fragile stage. Loss of protection now could put at risk "seed" packs like the Teanaway and Wenatchee Pack that are critical to establishing a viable population in the Cascades and Coast. Just in the last year, two Teanaway pack members were killed by people, and in 2008, the Lookout Pack was nearly wiped out due to illegal poaching. Federal delisting exposes this tenuous recovery process to risk. While Washington does have a quality state plan that calls for recovery in the Cascades/Coast, the plan's penalties for poaching a wolf are minimal and subject to local politics. Without the stricter penalties that come with Endangered Species Act protection (up to $50,000 and a year in jail), discouraging illegal killing is much more of a challenge. —Jasmine Minbashian Spring-Summer 2013 11