oppose Melanie Rowland for Commissioner Immediate action required

[Humptulips]

Ms. Rowlands hearing is coming up this Thursday. Please ask she be rejected. It looks like she would be very bad for trappers and there is a possibility we can put the skids to her. Your letter needs to be in before Thursday.
kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov
jesse.salomon@leg.wa.gov
judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov
jim.honeyford@leg.wa.gov
christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov
shelly.short@leg.wa.gov
derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov

If I hotlink them you are limited in the length of comment so please copy/paste.

Here is what I wrote. Copying is probably not a good idea but I won't complain if you plagiarize a bit. Just a short sentence opposing her confirmation is probably enough though.


Senator,
Please oppose Melanie Rowlands confirmation as Fish & Wildlife Commissioner.
Ms. Rowland is a board member and legal counsel for the Methow Beaver Project. At first glance this might seem to not be a problem however the Methow Beaver Project receives funds in the form of grants from The Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources and The Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Their funding relies on their ability to relocate beaver which requires a permit from WDFW. There is a financial benefit to the Methow Beaver Project when they receive those permits. As Board Member and Legal Counsel that creates a clear financial conflict of interest.
In addition, Ms. Rowlands comments at the last Commission meeting where she complained about the length of the meeting casts doubt if she is really interested in doing the work to be a commissioner or if she is there just to fulfill the agenda of a narrow special interest.
We need someone with unquestioned commitment to fulfilling the mandate the Legislature has given The Department of Fish & Wildlife. I don’t believe Ms. Rowland is that person.

Bruce Vandervort, President
Washington State Trappers Association

[HillHound]

Emails sent. Copied your bullet points but put them into a condensed version in my own words.

[pickardjw]

https://www.howlforwildlife.org/wafwconfirmation

[jrebel]

Email sent...Let out a HOWL as well.  Thanks for posting the links

[Skyvalhunter]

Email sent, contribution made.

[pianoman9701]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

[Tbar]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

They believe all beavers can be live trapped and moved.  The concept is good, reality is mixed at best.  It should be used as a situational tool not a strategy. 

[JakeLand]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

They believe all beavers can be live trapped and moved.  The concept is good, reality is mixed at best.  It should be used as a situational tool not a strategy. 

well said

[pianoman9701]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

They believe all beavers can be live trapped and moved.  The concept is good, reality is mixed at best.  It should be used as a situational tool not a strategy. 

Understood. I'll write.

[Cylvertip]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

They believe all beavers can be live trapped and moved.  The concept is good, reality is mixed at best.  It should be used as a situational tool not a strategy. 

They take a problem animal and move it to another location to potentially be a problem again.  They get payed for it and then if it becomes a problem again it will require more money from either the private property owner or from the drainage district, etc. Could be your tax dollars at work for both.  Not to mention the damage.  What do they care.  They are making money and spending yours. 

  Nuisance trappers on the Wet Side definitely see this, especially at the edges of the National Forests.  There are plenty of beaver here.  No need to relocate and cause further problems.  The animals on this side often are released into National Forest by groups like this.  Generally on this side, If there are no beaver in an area, there is a reason for it.  To steep, not enough feed, to many predators, etc, or they have been purposely trapped out ( and euthanized).  So these type of folks move the animals to "repopulate/ reestablish" an area.  The animals may stick around for a while, but generally move down stream/ down slope to more inviting environments.  This puts them in conflict with resident populations that are very teritorial.( 40 lb beaver have teeth that are as long as your fingers - they can cause serious damage to flesh to say the least, sometimes death)  They end up pushing into areas where they are not wanted.  Private land owners get to deal with flooding, trenching, and tree damage  both from beaver cutting them and from the flooding killing the trees.  Guys like me then get called to go deal with it.  Like I said, there are enough around already.  I keep plenty busy without dealing with animals that used to be someone else's problem.

[pianoman9701]

Dear Sirs/Madams,


Please reject Melanie Rowland for consideration as a member of the Wildlife Commission. As a member of the Methow Beaver Project, her perspective would not be in line with providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse fish and wildlife populations.. We have plentiful beaver populations in WA, populations currently maintained by traditional trapping methods. This has been sustainable and responsible for many decades. The practice of moving wild animals to other habitats is most often in direct opposition to science-based wildlife conservation. When animal populations are healthy and managed, the animal in question will inhabit areas according to its best chances of survival and the best results for the surrounding habitat. When a beaver's presence creates negative changes in habitat or property, as beaver often do, trapping is usually the best solution. Based on her association with the Methow Beaver project, it does not seem that Ms. Rowland would support continued trapping management of these animals. And, the result surely would not be to continue the recreational and commercial opportunities of WA trappers.


Going forward, I hope to see appointees who are focused on science-based conservation, which enhances wildlife and increases opportunity for WA sportsmen and women, as outlined by the mission of the Wildlife Commission. Thank you for your consideration of my request. 
PMan

[JakeLand]

I caught 2 of the beaver that had ear tags that were caught in marysville that kept damming up a culvert on the highway, they trapped them and moved them to Skykomish where they did the same thing and I got hired to trap and remove them at the city’s expense! Then they wanted the beavers with the tags given back to them so they could weigh and measure them which I said nope they’re mine now

[Special T]

I caught 2 of the beaver that had ear tags that were caught in marysville that kept damming up a culvert on the highway, they trapped them and moved them to Skykomish where they did the same thing and I got hired to trap and remove them at the city’s expense! Then they wanted the beavers with the tags given back to them so they could weigh and measure them which I said nope they’re mine now

 

How did the rest of that conversation go? lol

[Humptulips]

I may be naïve but I don't see any anti-trapping rhetoric on their website. 

A little recent history that probably most don't know about. When the last three-year trapping package came up for comment these beaver relocation organizations asked to get beaver trapping closed on all public land. There were 14 people signed up to comment via zoom before the Commission. I was the only one that spoke for trappers.
Their reasoning is that the beavers they are relocating all disappear so it must be trappers' fault. They have also been lobbying the Department to close beaver trapping on public land. The Department added a question on the report of catch form too, if beaver were caught on public or private as a result.
Anyplace there are no beaver now in WA has an underlying cause that probably dooms the released beaver. Cougar predation is a major obstacle to beaver relocations being successful.
Thankfully the Commissioners listened to my comments. Antis are using the same strategy in OR and the goal is to stop trapping on public lands.

[saylean]

I was surprised at her snooty statement when she left about having made plans....although I understand scheduling something and having to leave, it was the way and tone she left that I found off putting. Hopefully her and Smith at least do not get confirmed.

Speak up now guys, the meeting is Thursday!