Washington lawmaker proposes moving wolves

[pianoman9701]

Sounds like a good idea.

http://www.capitalpress.com/Washington/20150116/washington-lawmaker-proposes-moving-wolves

A northeast Washington legislator introduces bills to speed up wolf recovery.



OLYMPIA, Wash. — A northeast Washington legislator has introduced two bills to hasten wolf recovery and the day the predator no longer is protected by the state’s endangered species law.

Rep. Joel Kretz, an Okanogan County Republican, said ranchers can’t wait several more years for wolves to spread out before measures are put in place to control their numbers.

He said “social acceptance” of wolves has eroded in his district because his constituents have suffered the consequences of what’s purported to be a statewide goal.

“I’m really concerned about the disproportionate distribution more than anything,” Kretz said. “I don’t want to kill the last wolf, but we have to have more management tools than we’ve had so far.”

House Bill 1224 would authorize the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to study moving wolves to state or federal lands in regions of the state they have yet to venture.

House Bill 1225 would allow the state to remove wolves from its endangered species list in regions where recovery goals have been met. Regional delisting would open up discussions about whether to regulate wolves as a game animal in some areas.

The state’s recovery plan carves up the state in three districts, with each region needing at least four breeding pairs. The plan does not limit the wolf population.

The state’s wolf recovery plan holds out as an option moving wolves to help the species establish itself throughout the state. WDFW Game Manager Dave Ware said the agency isn’t considering it.

At a work session Thursday, Ware told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that moving wolves would require studying the environmental impacts. The studies would take years and by the time they were done, wolf recovery objectives would probably have been met, he said.

WDFW projects recovery could occur as soon as 2021.

“Moving a few wolves out of the northeast probably isn’t going to solve your problem because those wolves would probably be replaced pretty fast,” Ware told Kretz at the work session.

Kretz proposes waiving state environmental review laws in moving wolves. The state would still have to comply with federal laws.

Two years ago, Kretz introduced tongue-in-cheek legislation calling on the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island to “enjoy” the “ecological benefits” of “apex predators.” The bill this year has a serious tone, calling on WDFW to look for “suitable (wolf) habitat that is located the farthest from any known and recognized wolf packs and the most unlikely to be populated through the natural dispersion of the species.”

The bills have been referred to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Hearings on the bills have not been scheduled.

“I think there’s more of a recognition we have a real problem in the northeast,” Kretz said.

De-listing wolves by region would erase a lot of the frustration, he said.

[montana44mag]

I think the regulations should be the same as coyotes, theres still plenty of them around.

Except every 5 years Id open it to night hunting as well for 1 year. That way they cant just pattern to thrive at night.

[pianoman9701]

This is how screwed up the WDFW is on wolves. "At a work session Thursday, Ware told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that moving wolves would require studying the environmental impacts. The studies would take years and by the time they were done, wolf recovery objectives would probably have been met, he said."

Why do they need environmental impact studies to move wolves to areas already slated to require them before plan goals are met? Ware is basically saying that they made the plan to have a given number of packs (15 total) spread out in different zones in the state, but to hasten the spread to those areas, they'd need an environmental impact study. Wasn't there an environmental impact study done to determine the plan to begin with? If not, why? If there was, what is the need now?

[mkcj]

WDFW will fight this the whole way! they know that wolves will probably never reach the west side in numbers for 3 years in a row that will allow hunting. Was there any "studying the environmental impacts" on wolves released in Idaho that would go to other states...NO!

[Boss .300 winmag]

This paragraph kills me, so what your saying is that they will populate those areas anyways, but if we speed that up you have to do studies.  How stupid is this, maybe they should have thought about that before they let them spread do far outside Yellowstone In the first place. 



At a work session Thursday, Ware told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that moving wolves would require studying the environmental impacts. The studies would take years and by the time they were done, wolf recovery objectives would probably have been met, he said.

[pianoman9701]

Yes, that's exactly it. It's a great idea and they should be able to do it without further studies. 

[bobcat]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

[mkcj]

 Just what I would expect to here! How does that sand taste? I really like Bobcats statement  "then re-write it" I'm sure people are running to Olympia right now to re-write the wolf plan, and the tree huggers are probably driving them there.

"The state’s wolf recovery plan holds out as an option moving wolves to help the species establish itself throughout the state. WDFW Game Manager Dave Ware said the agency isn’t considering it."

So they could do this right now!

[KFhunter]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

You don't think the wolves would do well in the hoof rot areas?
Might be a win/win


I'm all for it.

[bearpaw]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

Obviously you are not too concerned about what happens to us in the NE until wolves are delisted, maybe if you shared in the many claimed benefits of wolves you would have a better understanding of why NE Washington residents are fed up and you would be more willing to help get them delisted! 

[KFhunter]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

Obviously you are not too concerned about what happens to us in the NE until wolves are delisted, maybe if you shared in the many claimed benefits of wolves you would have a better understanding of why NE Washington residents are fed up and you would be more willing to help get them delisted! 

exactly, moving them to the hoof rot area would supercharge their population.  I know some are there already but there's plenty of room to move some more, concentrating on the worst hoof rot areas.

[bearpaw]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

Obviously you are not too concerned about what happens to us in the NE until wolves are delisted, maybe if you shared in the many claimed benefits of wolves you would have a better understanding of why NE Washington residents are fed up and you would be more willing to help get them delisted! 

exactly, moving them to the hoof rot area would supercharge their population.  I know some are there already but there's plenty of room to move some more, concentrating on the worst hoof rot areas.

I think wolves could also help reduce the goat population in the Olympics, something the park has wanted to do for years!

[wolfbait]

Why would we want wolves moved into areas they may not ever get to on their own? Stupid. I don't want any more money wasted on wolves than what has already been wasted. Wolves will go wherever they want on their own. They don't need our help.

If the wolf plan is determined to need changed in some way, then re-write it. I can't believe anyone would be in favor of this. Those that think it's a good idea, did you agree with what has been done by the USFWS in the past- moving wolves from Canada into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If not, then why would you think this is okay?

To me it's a total waste of money, and the WDFW does not have extra ,money that just needs to be thrown away. If there's money for this then there's money to hire more enforcement officers and try to get poaching under control.

Obviously you are not too concerned about what happens to us in the NE until wolves are delisted, maybe if you shared in the many claimed benefits of wolves you would have a better understanding of why NE Washington residents are fed up and you would be more willing to help get them delisted! 

 

Bobcat, you could become more in tune with the phrase "wolves are here to stay, so get use to it".

[KFhunter]

wolves don't cause declines in elk/moose populations, poor habitat does
wolves make you a better hunter
only lazy hunters won't be successful in wolf country
show me where Idaho has had hunter opportunity restricted.......oh I just meant bulls!  oh.....that's due to habitat loss

[bearpaw]

wolves don't cause declines in elk/moose populations, poor habitat does

   That's what they say, why should anyone worry?