Statement on letter from Governor Inslee regarding Washington’s wolves 

Conservation Northwest released the following statement today in response to a letter from Governor Jay Inslee on Washington’s wolves:

“We appreciate Governor Jay Inslee weighing in regarding wolves in Washington,” said Mitch Friedman, Conservation Northwest Executive Director. “Guided by our state’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, the Wolf Advisory Group has made tremendous strides towards coexistence through collaboration, advancing non-lethal deterrence methods and defining science-based protocols for managing persistent conflicts between wolves and livestock. Thanks to this innovative work, incidents of wolf lethal removal remain very low in Washington compared to other states even as our wolf population continues to grow and expand its range.”

“However, we agree with Governor Inslee that more work is needed in certain areas, including northeast Washington’s Kettle River Mountain Range,” said Friedman. “We’re committed to collaborating with agency staff, ranchers, biologists and others to continue moving towards the goal of long-term recovery and public acceptance of wolves alongside thriving local communities.”

View the WDFW’s December 1, 2019 response to the Governor’s letter here.

 

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