WDFW Jan. wolf meetings

[denali]

 WDFW will hold wolf information meetings Jan. 16 Spokane,   17th Olympia,  18th Seattle.

See WDFW news or wolf site for details

I hope we are well represented,  I would like to go but will be in Texas.

[Ridgeratt]

Meetings scheduled to discuss
gray wolf recovery, management


OLYMPIA – The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

A panel of experts will discuss ongoing efforts to recover Washington’s gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states.

“Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views,” said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. “This is a great opportunity for people interested in gray wolves to hear from experts about the recovery of the species throughout the West.”

Keynote speakers include Mike Jimenez, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Wyoming; Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf specialist with the USFWS and the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services; and Donny Martorello, WDFW carnivore section manager.

Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach, an independent wild carnivore education organization based in the state of Washington, will moderate the meetings.

Each meeting will include an opportunity for the public to submit questions to the presenters about wolf recovery and management.

The public meetings are scheduled for:

•Jan. 16 – Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 p.m.
•Jan. 17 – Office Building #2, at 14th Ave. and Jefferson St., Olympia, 2:30-5 p.m.
•Jan. 18 – Magnuson Park’s Garden Room, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 6-8 p.m.
Virtually absent from Washington for more than 70 years, gray wolves have dispersed into the eastern portion of the state and the North Cascades from adjacent populations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and British Columbia.

WDFW has confirmed the presence of eight wolf packs in Washington. There is also evidence of unconfirmed packs near Kettle Falls in northeastern Washington, in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington and in the North Cascades, as well as transient wolves.

Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered under state law throughout Washington, and under federal law in the western two-thirds of the state.

Washington’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan establishes a goal of 15 breeding pairs of wolves distributed among three regions of the state for three years – or 18 pairs in one year – before the state can delist gray wolves as an endangered species.

More information on wolves is available at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/.

[villageidiot]

This is humerous!  They are holding meetings in the big cities where nobody is being affected by wolves and of course you can predict their attitude.   Let them hold some meetings in Colville, Okanogan and Republic where people are being affected.  They know peoples attitudes in areas where the wolves have moved in and do not want to hear these peoples Love for these fine creatures.

[denali]

Thanks Ridgratt,  I'm on my phone so short and cryptic was the best I could do

[Ridgeratt]

A topic I always take a interest in!! Good chance I will be lurking in the crowd!

[deaner]

well, why not, ill be the one getting booed at in the seattle crowd. 

[deaner]

lorna smith, executive director of western wildlife outreach, will be moderating the meetings..... look at their website !!  its blatantly biased pro wolf $***!    why is she moderating this?  her website is a bunch of misinformation punctuated by outright lies.... heres one example...   "in north america there has been only one death appearantly caused by a wolf which occurred in saskatchewan in 2007"    it then goes on to say even this report is in doubt...   what about candice berner, who was a special needs teacher in alaska, who was killed by a pack of wolves near chignik lake in march of 2010?  this was confirmed by fish and game biologist lem butler, and by dna testing, and a state veterinarian examined the wolves who killed the teacher and found them in excellent health.   this is only one example, do your research and more are to be found.  western wildlife outreach puts all sorts of false information on their website to push their pro wolf agenda and THEY are MODERATING a public wolf meeting for the WDFW!    WTF

[deaner]

if things dont happen for the better in the next three years im moving to the idaho panhandle screw this.  cant believe nobody else seems interested in this thread.  i hope we get a few people from this forum who spend time in the wolf populated areas to come to these meetings and speak up

[huntrights]

All who read this forum should pass the word on about these meetings to their family, friends, and colleagues to encourage participation in the meetings. 

[Special T]

lorna smith, executive director of western wildlife outreach, will be moderating the meetings..... look at their website !!  its blatantly biased pro wolf $***!   

Defently the Fox Watching the hen house!

[villageidiot]

They actually did have a wolf meeting in Okanogan a couple yrs. ago and they brought multiple armed WDFW and police officers and had video cameras on the crowd.  The crowd got loud and hateful and voiced their dislike for wolves.  All the input just fell by the wayside.   It appears that their solution to this uproar is just have meetings in areas where there are no wolves yet and also near big cities where people live in apartments and will never be affected by wolves.  Really doubt attending one of these meetings would do a bit of good since they already know the concerns of the people that have to deal with them and have not done a thing to take a proactive approach.  They have ears but do not hear.

[bearpaw]

At least 3 of the 4 mentioned speakers are wolf advocates, it should be illegal for them to represent WDFW.

We need representatives from the hunting community to speak. I would do it but I still am busy with season, who else can go?