Matthew Weaver
Capital Press
A Spokane-based group is trying to address wolf management.
A Spokane-based group has mounted a billboard advertising campaign to increase awareness of the impact wolves have on Washington state.
Washington Residents Against Wolves began the campaign using eight billboards in November and December. The billboards include such messages as “Endangered? No. Deadly? Yes. Good for Washington? Absolutely not” and “The wolf — Who’s next on their menu?” It shows pictures of a deer, an elk, a calf, a dog and a young girl.
The billboards were intended to stir interest and educate residents about the impacts of wolves on the state, a spokesman for the group said.
“We’ve received many good inquiries and inputs on the billboards, although we’ve also had death threats as well from people who mostly don’t even reside within our state,” said David Burdge, a spokesman and member of the group.
The group has 20 members and is not affiliated with any other organization. Its members are concerned about the health and safety of Washington wildlife and residents, Burdge said.
“We would like to see a new wolf management plan drawn up that manages our wildlife equally,” he said. WARAW believes the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is not following its wolf management plan and using lethal control when the plan calls for it.
“(The state needs) to be concerned about Washington residents and not special interest groups that keep threatening to sue them,” Burdge said. “Most of those people don’t reside here, they don’t have to live with the wolf. We do.”
He said the group realizes wolves are here to stay.
“We are not for eradicating the entire population. We would like to have the department look at their wolf management plan and cut the numbers down to something much more realistic.”
WARAW would prefer five or six breeding pairs across the state. There are currently 11 packs in northeast Washington. “We’re trying to give people who may be on the fence or just don’t know a truly factual base from which they can educate themselves,” he said.
Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest, an organization that supports wolves, said WARAW is not trying to demonstrate that they are thoughtful people.
“I respect groups that try to advance calm, fact-based, common-interest discussions, not so much those who try to inflame entrenched positions,” Friedman said. “When I look at those billboards and other information WARAW posts on social media, it strikes me that they’re just ideologues trying to fan flames, and I don’t think that’s good for farmers, wolves or democracy.”
Conservation Northwest doesn’t plan to respond to the billboards. “We don’t feel like waving our arms in response to their arm-waving,” Friedman said.
Jack Field, executive vice president of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, says WARAW’s efforts demonstrate the impact of wolf recovery efforts. His association is not affiliated with WARAW.
“It shows there’s a broad crosscut of folks that have opinions on it,” Field said. “I think these billboards help to explain some of the concerns folks have. In the northeast corner of Washington, the overall pack density looks disproportionate compared to the rest of the state. This just helps elevate the discussion.”
Online
http://waraw.org/