http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2017/feb/01/bill-would-delist-wolves-in-four-counties/Bill would delist wolves in four counties
Photo provided/Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
The state's most recent survey of wolves in Washington state shows the vast majority of wolf packs are living in the northeast corner of the state.
OLYMPIA — State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, wants to take gray wolves off the state’s endangered species list in four counties, including Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille.
The 7th District lawmaker is sponsoring House Bill 1872, which was referred to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.
“We’ve got four counties that have 16 of the 19 packs, so let’s delist them there,” he said.
Kretz noted that his district has experienced the vast majority of wolf issues while most other parts of the state have had no problems.
Last year, The Profanity Peak Pack on the Colville National Forest killed or injured at least 10 cattle, with five more probable wolf kills, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. After other measures to deter them were unsuccessful, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife killed seven members of the pack, at a cost of over $135,000, a report by the agency says.
In 2014, the Huckleberry Pack killed or injured more than two dozen sheep in Stevens County, and the agency eventually hired a marksman to kill a member of that pack.
Kretz says the livestock killings, and removal of wolves, just increases the controversy in an area where wolves are plentiful, and considered recovered by the federal government.
“If we had the tools to deal with it, it improves social acceptance, and doesn’t affect anyplace else in the state,” he said.
Under federal rules, wolves are no longer protected or listed in the eastern third of Washington state, but under state law, they are still endangered throughout the state.
Before taking them off the state’s endangered list, the current management plan says that each of three recovery zones must have at least four successful breeding pairs for three consecutive years.
In last year’s state Department of Fish and Wildlife annual wolf population survey report, two of those zones — the Southern Cascades and Northwest Coast — had no wolf packs or breeding pairs, while the Eastern Washington zone had 15 packs, seven with a breeding pair.
“We could be in the same boat for another 10 years,” Kretz said, adding that wolf recovery could continue in other parts of the state while freeing up management in the northeast corner.
He predicted his bill will be a tough sell to Democrats in the Legislature, although Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, is co-sponsoring the bill.
“I think it’s pretty middle ground,” Kretz said, adding, “It should make sense to people, and in my opinion, it would tamp down the controversy.”
