Buckle up Jay is at it again.

[Ridgeratt]

Inslee orders up wolf-removal rule for second time
By DON JENKINS Capital Press Jan 12, 2024 Updated 4 hrs ago

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wants the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to write a new rule on managing wolves that attack livestock.

ODFW

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sided with wolf advocates Friday, directing the Department of Fish and Wildlife to write a rule to control the agency's use of lethal control to stop attacks on livestock.

Jay Inslee (copy)
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sided with wolf advocates Jan. 12 and ordered the Department of Fish and Wildlife to write a rule dictating when the department will kill wolves to protect livestock.

Don Jenkins/Capital Press
Inslee can't dictate rules to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, but he can order a rule-writing process. Inslee issued the same order in 2020, but the commission decided to stick with the department's current informal policy, which has stood up well in court.

In a letter to Washington Wildlife First, Inslee said a rule will provide consistency and confidence in the department's decisions. Wolf advocates hailed the governor's order.

Washington Wildlife First President Claire Loebs Davis said it was a significant victory for Washington's wolves.

"We thank Gov. Inslee for his courage and vision in once more taking a stand for Washington’s wolves," she said in a statement.

The commission voted 6-3 in October to not adopt a lethal-control rule, leading wolf advocates to petition Inslee.

By rejecting a rule, the commission left in place a protocol developed by the department's Wolf Advisory Group. The protocol guides but does not dictate when Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind will authorize lethal control.

Fish and Wildlife Commission Chairwoman Barbara Baker, a lawyer, has said a rule would make the department's decisions more vulnerable to court challenges. She said Friday the commission will discuss Inslee's letter, but declined further comment.

'Caught-in-the-act' dispute
The protocol calls for the department to consider shooting one or two wolves in a pack after three attacks in 30 days or four attacks in 10 months. Ranchers must have tried to prevent the predations.

Fish and Wildlife has killed 44 wolves since 2012. In that time, the state's wolf population has increased to at least 216 from 27.

Ranchers have shot eight wolves in the past 10 years under Washington's "caught-in-the-act" law, allowing ranchers to kill wolves attacking livestock.

Inslee sided with wolf advocates who say the law has been too loosely applied. According to the governor, "a number of wolves have recently been killed under 'caught in the act' when they were not attacking livestock."

The governor's letter did not provide any examples. Efforts to clarify the statement with the governor's office were not immediately successful Friday afternoon.

Scott Nielsen of the Cattle Producers of Washington said the governor's statement addressed "a problem that doesn't exist."

"I don't think that's accurate at all. If that's the case, why was nothing done?" he said.

Even if the commission again rejects Inslee's request to write a rule, the governor's comments likely will have an effect on the department, Nielsen said.

"We see this out on the ground. They respond to it," he said. "I don't think this will really be well received by the ranchers."

Wolf advocates have proposed a rule that would prohibit Fish and Wildlife from shooting wolves on public land or counting predations on public land against a pack.

The advocates have proposed eliminating the "caught-in-the-act" law and require ranchers to obtain a permit before shooting a wolf attacking livestock.

"Commonsense measures like the ones we proposed will set Washington on track to truly coexist with wolves," Center for Biological Diversity wolf advocate Amaroq Weiss said in a statement.

[MADMAX]

Such a tool

[huntnphool]

 The “3 S’s” will be the result!

[LDennis24]

Alright Sharkbait what did you do this ti......

Oh...

Nevermind....

*censored* Inslee, you suck

[fishngamereaper]

Wolves are like criminals in Washington..soft punishment doesn't work.
The more you give the more they take..
There's only one way to deal with both...


Jay's an incompetent tool.

[brew]

Wonder how much $ this will cost us ?

[HighlandLofts]

It would cost me one round of ammunition per problem.

[jstone]

What a POS

[ffhoofer]

Once again this clown is out of touch with reality… unfortunately it’ll get worse if Furgeson gets in.

[builtfordtough]

Uggg.  Inslee is such a pos.  Ferguson will be worse, somehow .  I think liberals compete against 1 another to look as stupid as possible.  Agree with the above post.  All Predators for that matter.

[Ridgeratt]

Any bets on how happy the commission is on this?

[bearpaw]

Free Pass _ Eat as much livestock as they want on public ground, which will only further the problem everywhere (including private land).

[huntnphool]

Uggg.  Inslee is such a pos.  Ferguson will be worse, somehow .  I think liberals compete against 1 another to look as stupid as possible.

 And Huntwa has a gaggle of them, just waiting to get their ballots, and make him the new dictator!

[high_hunter]

Was just coming to post the topic but figured it was somewhere on here already.   Here is the SR article link:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jan/12/governor-orders-new-wolf-removal-rules/

[dwils233]

Was just coming to post the topic but figured it was somewhere on here already.   Here is the SR article link:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jan/12/governor-orders-new-wolf-removal-rules/

The SR should have gotten a comment from anyone else besides just the CBD lawyer but I don't think they bothered to ask. Seems like a great chance to talk to someone on the WAG with a different perspective.