by GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – A coalition of Northwest wildlife groups put Washington State wildlife managers on notice that they will fight for stronger rules when it comes to killing wolves. The coalition wants a checklist of guidelines used to allow ranchers and farmers to kill problem wolves to become actual rules.
They want ranchers to be required to follow a series of nonlethal steps before taking the last resort of shooting them.
State Fish and Wildlife officials say they currently require several nonlethal actions but they are administered on a local level to allow for the unique circumstances of each case.
The group said the state is ignoring several guidelines listed in the Washington Wolf Plan. They want the guidelines adopted as rules and enforced.
More information about the petition and the groups behind it can be found at: