WDFW put on legal to the Goveror

[bbarnes]

April 12, 2013
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Dear Governor Inslee:
We are requesting an investigation of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for the follow:
1. Creating a Potential Health and Safety Risks to Citizens of the State, by allowing them to hunt sick animals.
2. The WDFW, created a violation of the Public Trust, by not disclosing the condition of the elk herds in effected Game Management Units. (GMU’s) In addition, not including this information in their Yearly Trend and Status Report to the Governor, or to the Public in the Washington Big Game Pamphlet.
3. In my opinion they are guilty of “Gross Negligence” by,
a. Promoting the sale hunting licenses and special permits, allowing the harvesting of sick animals, with no prior public disclosing of the elks condition, or the existence of the hoof rot disease, or any information concerning the human consumption of these infected animals. This could have been done thru the Washington 2012 Big Game Hunting Pamphlet.
b. Profiting from the sales of licenses and special permits to hunt in GMU’s known to have 55% Hoof Rot infected animals.
4. Wasting of Big Game animals, including but not limited Elk and Big Horn Sheep.
5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.
6. By not implementing a treatment or containment procedure when first detected, allowing the spread of hoof rot in Washington’s State to reach a pandemic proportion, covering over 11 Counties and 23 GMU’s.
Myself, my organization and others have made numerous requests for someone in the agency to address these concerns. We have spent many hours of our volunteer’s time in attending meetings, phone calls and emails with no reasonable solution. Resulting in no implemented of any containment or treatment of Hoof Rot in our States wild Elk Herd. Additionally, we feel the lack of action concerning the elk herd, big horn sheep and other big game is a gross mismanagement of our states precious wildlife resources. Our concerns and efforts have fallen on deaf ears. We feel this is a dereliction of duty and violation of their oath of office as managers of the States Wildlife Resources. For this reason we are requesting for the resignation and or removal of the following individuals who we feel are directly responsible for creating and contributing to the above crisis:
Miranda Wecker, Chair of the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife Commission
Phil Anderson, Director of Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Dave Ware, Game Division Manager for Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Sandra Jonkers, Wildlife Program Manager for Region 5, Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife
The Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife is no closer to solving this pandemic of hoof rot and the spread of this disease than they were 18 years ago. It began in one game management unit and has now spread to 11 counties and 20 game management units. We are additionally requesting you bring in the assistance of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife and outside Biologists to implement an effective strategy for containment and treatment of our valuable state resource. The Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife Commission should do this before the 2013 game regulations are approved.
We appreciate you making this a Top Priority of your administration. Without action taken this could represent catastrophic liability which will exceed the state liability.
Sincerely,
Bruce Barnes
Democrat 49th District
IBEW Local 48 Electrician
Concerned Washington Resident, Hunter and Founder of Mt. Saint Helen’s Rescue
Barnes.b@comcast.net
360-513-3874
CC: Washington State Senators
Washington State Legislators

[huntnphool]

Just wondering what you suggest? Seems the only solution for WDFW this season would be to close hunting in those GMU's, and we all have seen what happens when anyone suggests changing the status quo.

[bigtex]

5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.

Isn't that also called nature?

[hughjorgan]

There is a lot of wolves in the NE and we all know they only eat the sick and weak 

[Bigshooter]

Very interesting.

[christopheri]

5. Animal Cruelty, allowing and witnessing the pain suffering and slow death of wildlife, it is cruel and inhuman.

Isn't that also called nature?

Yes it is nature. Natural selection so to speak. What causes hoof rot? Is the WDFW sure it isn't caused by the chemicals that are sprayed after clearcutting? Or chemicals sprayed as pesticide to combat beetles? If hoof rot is induced by chemicals it wouldn't be a natural occurrence.

[cardboard slayer]

I wounder if getting torn apart and eaten by wolfs causes suffering  if so we need to round up the wolfs and put them on the hot seat

[Curly]

They may want to open up to more cow permits and really get the elk numbers down to try to limit the spread of the rot.?   

Should WDFW have placed hoof rot at a higher priority than they have over the years?  Probably.  But, you know what is said about hindsight.........

Now that the rot has gotten really, really bad, hopefully they have to place it at one of the highest priorities.  I hope they get as many experts out to try to figure this stuff out.

The thing that is really frustrating is the amount of money they are spending on wolves.  Just think if the money they spend on so called management of wolves were to be spent on this hoof rot, maybe they would have gotten somewhere by now.

[brokenvet]

Just wondering what you suggest? Seems the only solution for WDFW this season would be to close hunting in those GMU's, and we all have seen what happens when anyone suggests changing the status quo.

Not only close those areas for this season, but maybe for a few seasons or more; further more increase the hunting license fees for 2013.  Of course someone has to pay for the study of the cause. 

[Special T]

 

[bigtex]

"US Department of Fish and Wildlife"

I assume you mean the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS has NO authority to manage elk in WA unless they are either a) protected under the endangered species act, which they aren't or b) on USFWS lands.

WDFW cant just ask for help from USFWS because they can't figure something out. There must be a federal law which states the management purpose.

[bobcat]

I'm curious why bighorn sheep were included in this?

[bbarnes]

 I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.Also the big horns were put in there to show the above named had mismanaged these animals also.

[bigtex]

I'm asking for the USFand W to be brought in they have no one on there staff that's capable of fixing the problem.

This is outside USFWS management authority. They can't do anything.

[dreamunelk]

How do you know the USFW is not involved or has not been consulted?   WDFW uses the same universities that the USFW uses.  The world of experts and people capable of investigating wildlife diseases is small.

If you look at the information on the issue  on WDFW's web page you should notice the powerpoint presentation.    I am willing to bet the USFW service was there!