Prosecuting Attorney Investigating Predator Problem In Stevens County

[bearpaw]

Last week another Stevens County resident had livestock killed by a cougar and WDFW basically did nothing. The Stevens County Prosecutor and the lady were both on the local radio this morning discussing what can be done to stop this negligence by WDFW. The lady said she is especially concerned how the loss of the livestock will affect her young son.

The Stevens County prosecutor said he located a WAC that allows counties to create their own predator response teams to deal with issues. He also saif he contacted the WA State Attorney General and asked what if any law prevents the county from moving forward with some form of control actions. He said the state has not replied back.

There are so many people in this county who are fed up with WDFW's failure to manage dangerous predators. I never imagined WDFW could become so disgusting! My fingers are crossed that the county will finally take action!

[Stein]

Create a sanctuary county where local law enforcement is prevented from assisting with the state, seems to be the trendy thing to do.

[bigtex]

I'd like to know what the WAC is. My guess is it's probably an RCW (law) and not a WAC (regulation.) I did a quick run thru and I can't find anything. Unless it's in the agriculture or some other codes and not in the fish and wildlife codes.

[Stein]

It could be something where that action isn't forbid.  Laws can either expressly allow something or simply allow it by not stating it illegal to do so.  Maybe he found a portion that didn't expressly give WDFW the sole power to manage depredations.

[bearpaw]

I'd like to know what the WAC is. My guess is it's probably an RCW (law) and not a WAC (regulation.) I did a quick run thru and I can't find anything. Unless it's in the agriculture or some other codes and not in the fish and wildlife codes.

I'm sorry, that might be an RCW he quoted on the radio, he said the number, but I didn't have a pencil handy when I heard it. If I hear that on the news again I will try to get the number.

[rainshadow1]

Cougar harvest guidelines are deeply and subversively political. Puget Sound politics, with a much deeper than you’d want to think agenda. Hand in hand with the wolf agenda. Local jurisdictions are going to have to think for themselves at some point.

[Special T]

What radio station/time/program?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[bigtex]

Oregon passed a law a couple years ago allowing counties to establish predator control districts. Basically a landowner signs up to be a part of the district, provides a fee based on the acreage of their property, and as a result the services of a county trapper is provided to those who signup.

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/oregon/predator-control-districts-mark-first-year/article_6b770781-4ae4-5b84-8ee9-41404c0baee6.html

[pianoman9701]

Boy, the rest of the state sure has abandoned the residents of Stevens County. I'd be arming and hounding up. I hope the sheriff won't allow WDFW LE jurisdiction in his county while his residents clean things up.

[bigtex]

Boy, the rest of the state sure has abandoned the residents of Stevens County. I'd be arming and hounding up. I hope the sheriff won't allow WDFW LE jurisdiction in his county while his residents clean things up.

What's he going to do, arrest WDFW Officers for exercising the authority granted to them under state law? Good luck, even the most anti-fed sheriffs have never done such a move against federal LEOs (even though they always threaten it)

I honestly think the prosecutor has the most power in this. He could start declining to prosecute WDFW cases.

[bearpaw]

What radio station/time/program?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

KCVL in Colville, the Prosecutor has a weekly program that he informs the public, it should be on again.

Oregon passed a law a couple years ago allowing counties to establish predator control districts. Basically a landowner signs up to be a part of the district, provides a fee based on the acreage of their property, and as a result the services of a county trapper is provided to those who signup.

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/oregon/predator-control-districts-mark-first-year/article_6b770781-4ae4-5b84-8ee9-41404c0baee6.html

We already have a county agent, he's good too!

Boy, the rest of the state sure has abandoned the residents of Stevens County. I'd be arming and hounding up. I hope the sheriff won't allow WDFW LE jurisdiction in his county while his residents clean things up.

I've had hounds since I was 18, my biggest worry is keeping the wolves away from them when I'm in Colville so I can continue to hunt them in Idaho. Friends of ours had wolves in their pasture again yesterday right in the Colville Valley. The cattle and horses were all bunched up as close to the house as they could get so our friend started looking, sure enough there were two wolves in the far end of the pasture. When the wolves are around the cattle won't even go eat, that is unheard of, horses and cattle that won't eat hay laying in the pasture at feed time.

 

[Mudman]

   Probably see that soon?

[Bango skank]

  Probably see that soon?

What we will likely be seeing soon is so many people dealing with this crap themselves that wdfw enforcement wont be able to keep up.  People are getting very fed up.

[pianoman9701]

Boy, the rest of the state sure has abandoned the residents of Stevens County. I'd be arming and hounding up. I hope the sheriff won't allow WDFW LE jurisdiction in his county while his residents clean things up.

What's he going to do, arrest WDFW Officers for exercising the authority granted to them under state law? Good luck, even the most anti-fed sheriffs have never done such a move against federal LEOs (even though they always threaten it)

I honestly think the prosecutor has the most power in this. He could start declining to prosecute WDFW cases.

You're not saying that the sheriff doesn't have the authority, just that he won't use it, right? And, if the prosecutor won't try cases, couldn't the WDFW just request the court move them to another jurisdiction?

[bigtex]

Boy, the rest of the state sure has abandoned the residents of Stevens County. I'd be arming and hounding up. I hope the sheriff won't allow WDFW LE jurisdiction in his county while his residents clean things up.

What's he going to do, arrest WDFW Officers for exercising the authority granted to them under state law? Good luck, even the most anti-fed sheriffs have never done such a move against federal LEOs (even though they always threaten it)

I honestly think the prosecutor has the most power in this. He could start declining to prosecute WDFW cases.

You're not saying that the sheriff doesn't have the authority, just that he won't use it, right? And, if the prosecutor won't try cases, couldn't the WDFW just request the court move them to another jurisdiction?

He doesn't have the authority. The sheriff can only pull authority from those who he has granted authority to, such as his deputies or any other outside agency he deputizes. WDFW, WSP, etc. aren't deputized by the sheriff and they get their authority from the state.

On the federal side the only thing a sheriff can pull from a federal officer is any county deputization he has given them, so they can still enforce federal laws thru federal courts, they just cant use county courts or arrest for state only violations.

As for the prosecution question they can't get moved to another jurisdiction. Only two things could happen. 1- The AG's office opens an investigation into him to see why he's not prosecuting the cases 2- The AG can prosecute the cases themselves in place of the county prosecutor but this has only been used for largescale complex cases, not Johnny fishing without a license or shooting a buck out of season.