Gray Wolf News "The latest in the Wolf Wars"

[AspenBud]

I got a solution to this problem don't know if it will work but get everyone to not buy a fishing or hunting license for a year and threaten to extend it. I think this will bring WDFW to the bargaining table because they depend on sportsmen.

There's a guy who has a blog arguing for one of the pheasant release areas on the west side to be shut down. His argument? Hunting is dying, not needed, and thereby the site should be changed to be a no hunting, bird watching area. He uses declining hunting license sales to back up his argument.

The problem with the wolf issue is there aren't enough hunters in this state.

[bearpaw]

Bearpaw, I'm hoping you can be of assistance...

I commented, on WDFW Watch's Facebook page, in regards to an article they posted today, which puts those who are pro wolf control into a very bad light, going so far as to describe "us" as products of de-evolution...

Anyway, after my comments, others responded with name calling, immature and rude comments, but no facts.  I felt that I responded with facts.  WDFW's Facebook admin then threatened to ban me, remove my posts, etc. unless I provided evidence of what I was claiming.  After providing such evidence, they removed ALL of my posts, but left the posts of those who'd been responding to me...lol.  After contacting them, via Facebook messaging, requesting that if they're going to remove my posts, which were all made in an adult fashion, they should also remove those of the people who were acting so immature.  Magically, all of my posts were suddenly visible again...lol.

Anyway, to the part I'm requesting your help with...you know the politics and science involved much better than I do.  What are the chances that you could either:
1.  Get involved in the discussion
or
2.  Give me the information I need to refute the information provided?

Here's a link to the Facebook post...please read the article WDFW has linked, paying close attention to how the article attempts to describe and define hunters as such low lives of the world...

https://www.facebook.com/WdfwWatch/posts/253389628147885?comment_id=894732&notif_t=comment_mention

I apologize for not finding this till now. Fall is my busy time and I have let a lot of things slide while I have been busy. It sounds like you figured out they are just a bunch of huggers trying to influence the WDFW. I might add, they are being very successful at influencing WDFW.

Keep up the good fight. 

I got a solution to this problem don't know if it will work but get everyone to not buy a fishing or hunting license for a year and threaten to extend it. I think this will bring WDFW to the bargaining table because they depend on sportsmen.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but first you will never get everyone to be organized at this, and second, Aspenbud is right, declining license sales will likely work against us. The worst thing that happened is when WDFW started getting money form other sources than hunters and fishers.

As long as liberal democrats control the state politics, hunting in this state will continue to decline, they are seeing to that. If people want to see things reverse, then vote for politicians and judges who support guns and hunting.

[haus]

As long as liberal democrats control the state politics, hunting in this state will continue to decline, they are seeing to that. If people want to see things reverse, then vote for politicians and judges who support guns and hunting.

Them there democrats would be socialists boss, not liberals. Liberals are people who are understanding and tolerant of most anything. Them democrats just hijacked a whole perspective on life in order to paint a less fearsome picture of their true nature.....socialist pig dogs. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

Read this one and
http://exposingthebiggame.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/a-hastings-led-howl-against-protecting-wolves/

 I find it so BS that in the comments some idiot  says that  Doc Hastings, and Cathy Mcmorris-Rodgers are "pandering to their base" (ya think) while  implying that 75% of their constituents  (their base )don't agree. If 75% of Wa. are for wolves that SAME 75% + at least another 20% never have had  to deal with them so WTH  do they know anyway. 

[Dhoey07]

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2013/06/study-wolves-not-cause-wyoming-elk-decline

The title of this article is "Study: Wolves Not the Cause of Elk Population Decline in Wyoming" and a direct quote from the article "Of course, wolf predation does affect overall elk numbers" and "We can maintain these elk numbers but we had to severely limit hunting opportunity to do that," he says.

Sounds pretty contradicting to me

[villageidiot]

  The lookout pack.  Not sure of exact date since camera dates aren't right but is within the last week.  Would report to Gamies but lost all respect when they said "I will put this in my bigfoot sightings file" , this was a direct quote from US forest service Bio. in 2007  GMU 242      Were at least 2 big tracks and a couple smaller ones.

[denali]

http://methowvalleynews.com/2014/01/09/sharp-divisions-remain-in-debate-over-removing-wolves-from-federal-protection/

more push to get WA wolves listed as a distinct population.

[denali]

A pack of eight wolf-advocacy organizations are bristling at a federal animal-control agency’s attempt to license itself to shoot troublesome wolves in Washington, a move that WDFW is welcoming.

Wildlife Services, a branch of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, filed an environmental assessment in mid-December that would allow itself to work with not only the state but also tribes on all things wolf in the federally delisted area of Washington, but Cascadia Wildands, Center for Biological Diversity, Western Environmental Law Center, Project Coyote, Predator Defense, WildEarth Guardians, Kettle Range Conservation Group and The Lands Council say it must file an environmental impact statement instead.

“The less-detailed assessment already completed contains significant gaps and fails to address specific issues that will significantly affect wolves and the human environment. The document prepared by Wildlife Services failed to provide data to support some of its core assertions, including whether killing wolves actually reduces wolf-caused losses of livestock. It also failed to address the ecological effects of killing wolves in Washington, including impacts on wolf populations in neighboring states and on nontarget animals — from federally protected species such as grizzly bears and Canada lynx to wolverines, which are now proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act,” says the group in a press release.

In recent years Wildlife Services has been the target of scrutiny by predator advocates and others as well as an ongoing investigation by the Sacramento Bee, which revealed that, in a sense, it’s looking for new markets for its services.

WDFW Game Division manager Dave Ware says that although Wildlife Services isn’t funded to operate in the state, it can work in Washington on a cost-reimbursement basis. An agent did assist WDFW during 2012′s Wedge wolf operation, but only on nonlethal measures as without the environmental assessment, Wildlife Services is not permitted to take lethal action on protected species such as wolves.

But it can remove nonlisted animals. A Wildlife Services sharpshooter was hired to take out diseased members of the Tieton bighorn herd for the state this past year, just like in 2010 with the Umtanum herd of sheep. Both were efforts to keep pneumonia from spreading to other herds.

Ware says that his agency has been talking with Wildlife Services for several years about potential wolf work, but that Wildlife Services realized it hadn’t done an environmental assessment to assist on the often controversial lethal removal front.

“So this EA would allow them to do more work with us,” including nonlethal and lethal, Ware says.

But Wildlife Services would not be flying around in their infamous yellow plane with the dead-wolf stickers and taking action anywhere they wished. Lethal removals would only happen by WDFW’s direction (or the tribes) and in the federally delisted area of the state, Ware says. WDFW has also taken more of a nonlethal stance on wolves since seven members of the Wedge Pack were taken out for repeated livestock depredations.

Ware says that WDFW is “absolutely welcoming” the assistance and hopes to have Wildlife Services on board by this summer.

(Somewhat ironically, his boss recently wrote to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that “the state of Washington no longer needs federal oversight to recover and manage wolves,” but here it appears to actually want a certain kind of federal help managing them.)

The head of another wolf-advocacy group which did not join the press release calling for Wildlife Services to fill out a full-on EIS nonetheless still called for maximum scrutiny of the proposal.

[timberfaller]

Word of warning about the Methow Valley News, Its as liberal as any of the wet side's papers

Liberalism is a disease!

The big city wacko's and greenie's have pretty much taken over the Methow Valley And the "greenest" USFS will be found there also!

I miss the valley, I DON'T miss what it has turned into!!

[denali]

https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-newhouse-introduces-legislation-remove-gray-wolf-endangered-species

 April 23, 2015
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.R. 1985, the Pacific Northwest Gray Wolf Management Act of 2015 to remove the gray wolf from the “List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return management authority for the species back to the individual Pacific Northwest states. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) joined Rep. Newhouse to introduce this legislation as original co-sponsors:

“This is a commonsense bill that would allow states to provide a more flexible management program and move forward with the implementation of the gray wolf delisting efforts, which are long overdue,” said Rep. Newhouse. “States are fully qualified to manage gray wolf populations responsibly and are better equipped to meet the needs of local communities, ranchers, livestock, and wildlife populations. Delisting the gray wolf under ESA would allow state wildlife officials to manage wolf populations more effectively.”

[ghosthunter]

http://fox17online.com/2016/01/20/senate-panel-backs-bill-to-drop-wolf-protections-in-4-states/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_FOX_17

[CementFinisher]

right on hopefully they pass that

[Bango skank]

The key words being "truly imperiled species."  I like that language.  Something the crazy bunny huggers just dont get.  They throw around the word extinct (not extirpated) all the time, when wolves have never been anywhere near extinction.  Between northern north america and eurasia there are plenty.  Time to get rational about this.  If only wdfw would grow some balls and quit worrying about the social / political aspect of predator management and do what is logical and right for our wildlife.

[denali]

By Roger Harnack

TOPPENISH — Yakima County Farm Bureau directors voiced their angst and frustration over governmental land and wildlife bureaucrats last night during a discussion with the state’s contract wolf conflict manager.

Francine Madden joined about half of the Farm Bureau board to talk about bringing producers, environmentalists and state Department of Fish and Wildlife together to resolve issues relating to wolf depredation. Seven of the 15 directors boycotted the meeting.

With half the chairs empty in the back meeting room of Toppenish Eagles Aerie, Madden chose a seat away from Farm Bureau members, setting the initial tone for the evening.

According to Madden, the issue isn’t really about wolves, it’s the “us versus them” perception of rural residents. The professional mediator from Washington, D.C. — who’s being paid $850,000 over two years by the Department of Fish and Wildlife — told Farm Bureau directors they have an “identity conflict” more than a wolf conflict.

The directors agreed there is a lack of trust in state and federal agencies, and that the introduction of wolves is one of the latest assaults on the rural lifestyle.

Organization President Frank Lyall said rural residents don’t believe government bureaucrats and far-removed environmentalists value them or their need to protect their livestock, families and livelihoods.

“It’s a very fundamental right to be safe,” he said. “If government is telling you you’re not allowed to defend your person or property, government doesn’t much value your person or property. You’re essentially being driven from your property.”

After a brief pause, Madden said, “That’s a hell of a way to live.”

Lyall called the effort “rural cleansing.”

John Ashbaugh of Wenas agreed.

“They’re trying to clear the land. They want clear title,” he said, noting he believes government agencies are intentionally driving farmers off the land so they can use it as collateral for the nation’s $19 trillion debt.

Fifth-generation farmer Mark Herke of Taneum said he doesn’t believe anything will change until so-called environmentalists and government officials go to the store and start finding the shelves bare.

“You have 2 percent of the people producing food for 98 percent,” he said.

Don Young of Sunnyside questioned how state and federal agencies continue to come up with money to buy land, but can’t make their requisite payment in lieu of taxes.

“It damages the economic infrastructure of our county,” Lyall said.

Ashbaugh, too, noted the agencies pushing wolf introduction always seem to have money for more and more land acquisitions, but not enough to pay their fair share to municipal governments or enough to maintain lands.

Farm Bureau members said environmental groups and government agencies need to consider local management options a priority.

“We are all professional ecosystem managers,” Lyall said, noting farmers and ranchers have to take care of their land in order for the land to take care of them.

Madden said she believes her efforts are paying off.

“Ranchers are able to share their concerns and the environmentalists are able to hear them,” she said.

Those in attendance weren’t convinced and pointed to problems on the state’s Wolf Advisory Group, the board Madden has been working with.

Last fall, rancher Dave Dashiell of rural Stevens County and the Cattle Producers of Washington walked away from the advisory group because their concerns were being derided by state officials and westside environmentalists.

Farm Bureau Secretary Steve George of Moxee said there’s a “huge inconsistency” in wolf management and the mediation practices.

“We’re putting money into this thing? What a farce,” he said. “We don’t see a lot of pluses here.”

George called the introduction of wolves into Eastern Washington and other areas of the west a “bogus, baloney deal to get people off the land.”

The discussion continued for more than 90 minutes, with Lyall having to get the organization back onto other business.

But before he shifted topics, he reminded Madden:

“There’s a huge power imbalance, and they know how to play the game. We’d just like to split us off the state,” he said, referencing renewed efforts for Washington to split along the Cascade Crest into two separate states.

http://www.dailysunnews.com/news/2016/mar/11/farmers-air-concerns-wolf-meeting/