Wolf control issue on agenda
OLYMPIA -- Phil Anderson, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, told legislators wolf management in Washington state "is going to need all our attention at the highest levels of our agency."
Speaking at a work session of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, he said that as wolf populations increase in adjacent states, Washington needs to prepare for state management when federal delisting occurs.
Twelve public meetings from October 2009 to January 2010, along with about 65,000 written comments, have provided the agency with plenty of opinions to supplement other information. The outcome is a recommended goal of 15 breeding pairs of wolves in Washington.
Anderson said his department has hired a specialist to check out leads and has funded camera equipment, radio collars and howling surveys. Funds came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, plus sales of license plates and from Defenders of Wildlife, which is the sole source of money to offset livestock depredation.
The state does not allow for killing wolves by state workers, who work with federal wildlife workers concerning chronic livestock depredation.
George Ziegltrum, of the Washington Forest Products Association, said his industry is "concerned about the safety of our foresters in the woods."
He said any wolf sighting requires a one-mile radius of protected habitat, which reduces the value of that timber "equal to a couple of thousand cows and a couple of thousand sheep."
Jack Field, of the Washington Cattlemen's Association, said he does not support the plan.
"Fifteen breeding pairs is too high a population for delisting or downlisting," he said. "Fewer negative interactions means better wolf recovery."
-- Steve Brown
http://www.capitalpress.com/subscribers/SB-legis-briefs-121710-artGeorge Ziegltrum, of the Washington Forest Products Association.
He said "any wolf sighting requires a one-mile radius of protected habitat, which reduces the value of that timber "equal to a couple of thousand cows and a couple of thousand sheep."
Jack Field, of the Washington Cattlemen's Association, said he does not support the plan.
"Fifteen breeding pairs is too high a population for delisting or downlisting," he said. "Fewer negative interactions means better wolf recovery."
So, are you going to send pics of wolves and detailed info to WDFW (or what ever agency the Queen decides ) of your honey hole
?
Not me if WDFW can't keep track of their feral dogs....looks like big song dog too me ?
