By Bob Ferris I read an article recently that reported that when peace officers wore cameras happier outcomes resulted for the police and for citizens. I think of this now as our Legal Director Nick Cady readies himself for to meet along with our members of our coalition with officials in Washington about the … Continue reading Huckleberry Hounding
The Huckleberry Alpha Female is Dead: Wolves -1 and WDFW Credibility 0
By Bob Ferris I am bone tired after dogging the Huckleberry Pack issue nearly non-stop for approaching two weeks. And now I am angry and disappointed. That is a very bad time to put your thoughts down electronically, but someone needs to. I am not angry at the rancher who may have or … Continue reading The Huckleberry Alpha Female is Dead: Wolves -1 and WDFW Credibility 0
With Huckleberry Wolf Pack in Crosshairs, Conservation Groups Appeal to Gov. Inslee to Require Rules Limiting Killing of Washington’s Endangered Wolves
August 28, 2014 — Eight conservation groups filed an appeal with Governor Jay Inslee today to reverse the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s denial of a petition asking for enforceable rules limiting when wolves can be killed in response to livestock depredations. The petition seeks to limit when the Department of Fish and Wildlife can kill wolves and require livestock producers to use nonlethal measures to protect their stock. Rules similar to those requested by the petition are in place in Oregon and are working to encourage ranchers to enact nonlethal measures; there, the number of depredations has decreased dramatically, and the state has not killed wolves in more than three years.
State Fish and Wildlife Commission Denies Petition to Require Nonlethal Steps to Manage Washington Wolves
August 1, 2014 — The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today denied a petition filed by eight conservation groups seeking to limit when wolves can be killed in response to livestock depredations, and to require livestock producers to exhaust nonlethal measures to prevent depredations before lethal action can be taken. The petition was filed to prevent lethal actions such as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2012 decision to kill seven wolves in the Wedge Pack despite the fact that the livestock producer who had lost livestock had taken little action to protect his stock. Petitioners plan to appeal the commission’s decision to the governor.
Press Release: Petition Filed to Require Nonlethal Steps to Control Washington Wolves
July 9, 2014 — Eight conservation groups filed a petition late Friday requesting that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife enact rules that sharply limit the use of lethal control of wolves to respond to livestock depredations. Most prominently the petition asks the state to require livestock producers to exhaust nonlethal measures to prevent depredations before any lethal action can be taken. In 2012 the Department killed seven wolves in the Wedge Pack despite the fact that the livestock producer who had lost livestock had taken little action to protect his stock.
Cascadia Wildlands and Colleagues File Petition for Rulemaking Over Lethal Control on Wolves in Washington
On June 9, 2014, Cascadia Wildlands and allies filed a petition for rulemaking urging the Washington Department of Fish and Wildife Commission to adopt a rule that outlines the non-lethal steps that must be taken prior to lethal control being used on wolves.
Press Release: Washington Wildlife Agency Urged to End Support for Abolishing Federal Wolf Protections
March 6, 2014 — Eleven conservation organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Washington residents sent a letter to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today urging the agency to rescind its support for stripping wolves of federal Endangered Species Act protections. The department has repeatedly expressed support for dropping the federal safeguards, most recently in a letter sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Dec. 13, 2013. The delisting runs counter to the best available science and ignores the values of the vast majority of Washington residents who want to see federal wolf protections
maintained.
Press Release: Peer Review Questions Obama Proposal to Strip Protections for Wolves
February 7, 2014 — A scientific peer review released today greatly questions the science behind the Obama administration’s proposal to strip protections for gray wolves across nearly all of the lower 48 states. The report was initiated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency that proposed the delisting, and should compel the administration to maintain protections for the species in much of the US where it is currently listed as an endangered species.
BREAKING NEWS: Peer Reviewers Find Fault with USFWS Science on Wolf Delisting–comment period reopens
The US Fish and Wildlife Service just release the following press statement about the independent Peer review (see link at bottom of page): Service Reopens Comment Period on Wolf Proposal Independent scientific peer review report available for public review Following receipt of an independent scientific peer review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service … Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Peer Reviewers Find Fault with USFWS Science on Wolf Delisting–comment period reopens
Looking for a Good Cup of Wolf Coffee
By Bob Ferris People in the Pacific Northwest love and understand good coffee made just right. You can see their eyes light with pleasure when they sip that mug prepared with the right amount of grounds from fresh beans that have met the optimal amount of hot, steamy water. When it comes to state … Continue reading Looking for a Good Cup of Wolf Coffee