By MIKE JOHNSTON, senior writer
State and local cattle industry groups are attempting to gather statewide political support for legislative provisions to take wolves off the state’s protected species list region by region.
Representatives of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association and the Kittitas County Cattlemen’s Association will meet with Kittitas County commissioners Thursday to discuss the impact the state’s wolf management plan is having on livestock owners, especially those in northeast Washington, including Okanogan County.
Jack Field, executive vice president of the Ellensburg-based state cattlemen’s association, said the group plans to meet with county commissioners across Eastern Washington about the issue. The commissioners will be invited to a July 10 meeting in Walla Walla, hosted by Walla Walla county commissioners. The groups also will ask the Washington Association of Counties for support.
Commissioners from the Eastern Washington counties will be asked to support a bill in the Legislature that “clearly gives state government the authority to delist wolves by region,” Field said.
The bill would put into state law what is in the state wolf management plan, he said, making regional delisting a clear provision with requirements that must be met.
If a region has its protected wolves delisted, then rules are established to allow hunting of wolves in the region.
He said some ranchers in Okanogan County are being hit hard by losses of yearling cattle from wolf kills, a burden that shouldn’t be borne by ranchers.
Although there’s some state funds available to livestock owners for compensation for cattle losses, it’s not enough, Field said.
Wolves by region
Under the state’s wolf recovery management plan adopted by the wildlife commission in December, 15 documented, successful breeding pairs would to exist for three consecutive years to remove endangered species protections. Four breeding pairs each would be required in Eastern Washington, the North Cascades and the South Cascades or Northwest coast, as well as three other pairs anywhere in the state.
Some advocate the number of successful breeding pairs must exist in all regions before delisting; others want delisting allowed by region.
If you go
What: Kittitas County commissioners meet with representatives of the county and state cattlemen’s association to review the impact of increasing wolf populations.
When: 11 a.m. Thursday
Where: Kittitas County courthouse, Room 108 Conference Room