Victory for Washington’s Wolves!
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has been instructed to develop new regulations focused on prioritizing nonlethal methods for managing human and wolf conflicts.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has issued a directive to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission (WDFW), tasking them with the development of new regulations aimed at prioritizing nonlethal methods in managing conflicts between wolves and farmed animals.
The initiative reverses the commission’s rejection of a petition filed by wolf advocates calling for rules to be put in place that would regulate the state’s management of endangered gray wolves.
Changes proposed by the petition include stronger requirements for livestock operators to use nonlethal wolf prevention methods, limits on the number of wolves that can be killed, and mitigation plans for areas with chronic conflict. These regulations would prevent WDFW from shooting wolves at random, killing wolf pups, and killing wolves on public lands or due to conflicts on public lands, according to Washington Wildlife First.
Although it is not yet clear what the new regulations will be, the WDFW stated that it would comply, and that its staff will meet with the commission to decide on the timing and process for initiating rule making.
“This victory holds so much promise for Washington’s wolves and it should change the state’s outdated focus on managing wolves instead of conserving them,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The science tells us that killing wolves doesn’t decrease conflict. Shooting wolves can actually increase conflict while making people more hostile to these awe-inspiring and ecologically important animals.”
This is the second time that advocates have had to file an appeal with the governor’s office and the third time the governor has ordered the commission and the department to rework how livestock-wolf conflicts are addressed, after the commission denied past wolf rulemaking petitions, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Third time’s the charm, and I hope that this time the state will listen to the science and adopt rules that will reduce wolf killing and lessen livestock losses,” said Weiss. “Commonsense measures like the ones we proposed will set Washington on track to truly coexist with wolves.”
Human And Wolf Conflict
After being almost completely eradicated in Washington by the 1930s, wolves started resurfacing in the state in the past two decades. Most live in sparsely populated northeastern Washington.
WDWF says the state and tribes counted 206 wolves in 33 packs at the end of 2021.
In Washington State, the livestock industry alone is worth around $3.02 billion. Of the 1.19 million animals farmed in the state only 15.5 were confirmed, with only 1.75 reported as likely to be killed by wolves in 2021, according to data submitted by farmers. That equates to an estimated .001% of farmed animals that are lost each year to wolf predation.
From 2012 onwards, 53 wolves, classified as state-endangered in Washington, have been fatally impacted by conflicts with livestock. A single livestock-owning family was responsible for 75 percent of the kills, with the Center for Biological Diversity alleging that the family neglected to implement sufficient measures to safeguard the cows they were farming. Sixteen wolves have been shot in the past three years alone.
Gov. Inslee’s decision requires the commission to start a formal rulemaking process, which includes giving notice to the public and creating an opportunity to comment on proposed rules. The timeline for this process will be available on the department’s website when the rulemaking is announced.
Advocating For Wolves
Species Unite is piloting our first ever humane education in schools program designed to teach children about the importance of protecting wolves to maintain a balanced ecosystem.
With help and lessons from TeachHEART.org, we have developed a 6-week curricula for grades 3-5 and lessons for grades 6-8 in collaboration with teachers across the country. Our goal is to expand this initiative to every state in the US, reaching hundreds of schools and over 100,000 students.
If you're an educator, learn more about our program and download your free digital Humane Education Guide here.
And if you're not a teacher, please share this program with your friends and family who are so that we can reach as many students as possible.
Further Action for Wolves
Writing letters is a powerful way to advocate for wolves and to get your voice heard. Washington State residents can contact the commission telling them that wolves deserve to be protected and encouraging them to reconsider their decision. You can get in touch here.
In Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, over 1,700 wolves are not even protected by the Endangered Species List. They’re in great danger and urgently need as many people as possible to speak out for them. Please join the Species Unite campaign by writing a letter to Secretary Haaland and President Biden asking them to put wolves back on the Endangered Species List.
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