Washington Fish and Wildlife considering lethal removal of wolves in Asotin County
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife managers are considering options, including lethal control, to stop wolf attacks on livestock in Asotin County.
According to an agency communication, wolves have killed six cattle in four separate attacks in the county since May 21. Under the state’s wolf management plan, lethal control of wolves can be considered following four confirmed depredation events within a 10-month period.
Seth Thompson, assistant regional wildlife program manager for the agency’s Spokane-based Eastern Region, said a team of wildlife specialists is in the process of compiling information about the attacks and previous steps taken to deter them.
“The district team will put their recommendation together based on factors on the ground and factors spelled out in the Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol and then go to region’s director Mike Kuttle, Jr., and from there it would go to director (Kelly) Susewind,” he said.
Thompson said it is not a foregone conclusion that lethal removal will be approved. He said the Susewind could determine that lesser steps should be taken.
The attacks are coming from the WA139 group of wolves that is not yet an official pack. Locally it is known as the Anatone Pack but it won’t become an official pack until the end of the year. According to the department, the group likely broke off from the nearby Tucannon Pack in January and moved into northeastern Oregon and were blamed for several lethal attacks on livestock. One of the members of the group was killed by a rancher. In March, the animals began splitting time between Wallowa County in Oregon and Asotin County in Washington. Jay Holzmiller, an Anatone rancher, said the wolves are spending most of their time on private agricultural land and that should sway the agency toward approving lethal control.
“It’s been an ongoing problem and we have met all criteria (for lethal removal) and hopefully they will come to the right conclusion.”
If the agency approves killing one or more of the wolves in Group 139, it would be the first time the action has been greenlighted in southeastern Washington. The agency has killed several wolves in northeastern Washington. Wolves in the eastern third of the state are not protected by the federal Endangered Species Act but they are protected by Washington’s version of the law. Gov. Jay Inslee has voiced opposition to lethal removal in the past and asked the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to consider new rules that would both reduce wolf attacks on livestock and the number of wolves killed in response. The commission considered but ultimately rejected new rules on a narrow 5-to-4 vote.