South Salem's Wolf Conservation Center Urges You to Help Endangered Washington Wolves

Washington’s wolves were driven to extinction in the early 1900s by a government-sponsored eradication program on behalf of the livestock industry. Since the early 2000s, the animals have started to make a comeback by dispersing into Washington from neighboring Idaho and British Columbia (Canada). Although they are listed as endangered throughout Washington under state law and under federal law in the western two-thirds of the state, Washington wolves are under attack.

Two Years ago Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Department (WDFW) ignored public opinion as they spent over $76,000 wiping out an entire pack of wolves, the Wedge Pack, including its young pups, which had allegedly depredated on cattle that grazed on public and private land. Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson said the effort was necessary. “Lethal removal will remain a wolf-management option, but we will use it only as a last resort,” Anderson said. “We are committed to the recovery and sustainability of the gray wolf in Washington, and its numbers are increasing rapidly.”

Now, another pack, the Huckleberry Pack, is the newest target of WDFW’s mismanagement. It was alleged that the pack was responsible for depredating 22 sheep placed in an area that made it very difficult to implement nonlethal deterrents and conflict avoidance measures. While some attempts were made to use simple non-lethal methods, they were woefully late and poorly implemented. It is commonly known that these measures are effective only when used correctly and given time to work.

Two weeks ago WDFW issued a kill order for up to four members of the Huckleberry pack and on August 24th, the department aerial-gunned a female pup. The kill order remains active for three additional wolves in the wild family.

On Aug. 28th, eight conservation groups filed an appeal with Governor Jay Inslee asking for reasonable and enforceable rules that mandate what ranchers need to do to protect their livestock and when the state can step in and kill an endangered species.

Thus, the Wolf Conservation Center’s Awareness and Action Committee is encouraging its supporters to champion this effort by respectfully urging the Governor to (1) revoke the state’s kill order on the Huckleberry pack (2) adopt reasonable and enforceable measures that will ensure a future for wolf recovery in the state.

For additional information, please click here.

Please email and call Governor Inslee
• governor@gov.wa.gov
• 360-902-4111