I sent this message to the commission and to everyone on the list:
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,31831.0.htmlDear WDFW Commissioners,
I am sending you this message because I am worried about the future of Washington. The residents of Washington (both urban and rural) are depending on your wisdom to give us a “Washington Wolf Plan” that provides many things to many different interests and that also satisfies federal and state requirements.
I am so concerned that I have spent a lot of time researching wolves and the wolf reintroduction effort. With the help of others, I have found a huge amount of actual news reports, info from studies about wolves, and other info that is not readily available in one location. For this reason I have assembled a website
http://washingtonwolf.info/ which has a tremendous amount of local news reports, photos of wolves in Washington, and other general wolf data.
Most Washington residents have accepted the fact that we are going to have wolves in Washington.
So the real questions are:
How many wolves can Washington support?
How will we manage them so that they fit into our highly populated state?
Who Is Going To Pay For Wolf management?
How do we keep Washington residents, pets, and livestock safe?
Please look at the website and digest some of the info provided, and please remember these “Important Considerations” when you adopt the “Washington Wolf Plan”.
Important Considerations 1. Why is hunting omitted from the Washington Wolf Plan and what will be the eventual method to control wolf numbers?
2. What's the cost to tax payers if "Hunting" is not allowed after wolf numbers have rebounded?
3. What are the dangers to humans of an un-hunted wolf population?
4. How will Washington's limited elk and deer herds survive an un-hunted wolf population?
5. What are the dangers to livestock of an un-hunted wolf population?
6. The current Draft Wolf Plan requires too many wolves throughout most of Washington.
7. Does the WDFW have a wolf biologist with hands-on experience in Idaho or MT?
8. When wolves multiply, hunters will lose hunting opportunity. Many small town economies rely on busy hunting seasons.
9. A small population of wolves could coexist without altering the lifestyles of WA residents.
10. Consider the "Minority Position" in the Washington Wolf Plan. (Pages 246-247)
http://washingtonwolf.info/ addresses many of these considerations with real life information. The residents of Washington are counting on your ability to approve a Wolf Plan that we can all live with and be safe with in the outdoors. Thank you in advance for checking out the website.
Best Regards,