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Loading...Death Sentence Issued for Entire Pack of Endangered Wolves
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) issued a death sentence for an entire pack of eight gray wolves due to conflicts with ranchers, despite the fact that wolves are listed as endangered under state law and proactive measures weren’t taken to prevent conflict.
“Once wolves become habituated to livestock as their primary food source, all of the wolf experts we’ve talked to agree that we have no alternative but to remove the entire pack,” said Phil Anderson, Director of the DFW. “By doing that, we will preserve the opportunity for the recovery of grey wolves in balance with viable livestock operations.”
The wolves in question, known as the Wedge pack, were discovered in July and are the first to come into the area since wolves were eradicated decades ago. This summer, the state killed a non-breeding female of the pack to see if that would deter them, even though at the time it was unclear whether they were killing or just scavenging carcasses that were already there. Yesterday, two were slaughtered after being shot from a helicopter a few miles away from the Canadian border.
The pack is believed to have killed or injured at least 15 calves and cows from the Diamond M Ranch in Stevens County despite non-lethal measures to control them, but some conservationists argue that the rancher who complained, Bill McIrvine, was uncooperative and could have done more to prevent predation.
Mitch Friedman, Director of Conservation Northwest, told King 5 that McIrvine should have done more to protect his cattle and points out that he didn’t join the range riding program like others had and argues that he should be responsible for using alternative methods to deter wolves since he’s grazing on publicly owned national forest land.
McIrvine reportedly “believes radical environmental groups are conspiring to introduce wolves in order to force ranchers off public lands.”
The state’s wolf management plan requires at least 15 breeding pairs distributed throughout the state for three years in a row before federal protection can be removed. As of now, there are only eight confirmed packs in the state.
Even though ranchers keep crying about financial losses and calling for wolves to be killed, the state’s wolf management plan allows for ranchers “to be compensated up to $1,500 per cow for wolf predation classified as ‘probable.’ The plan also allows ranchers to be paid up to twice that amount for lost livestock that are “confirmed” to have been killed by wolves on ranches over 100 acres.”
Officials believe wolves will relocate to the area over the next year or two, but conservationists want assurances that something like this won’t happen again.
Related Stories:
A Buffer Zone Could Go a Long Way for Wolves in Denali
Read more: endangered species, washington, wedge pack, welfare ranching, wolves
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+ add your ownREVOKE the farmers permits to graze on OUR PUBLIC LAND get his cattle OFF OF OUR LAND STOP DECIMATING OUR WOLVES that as#$ole farmer is irresponsible and lazy It is easy to blame the wolf,you fat as% jerk.. I hope you go bankrupt
Marianne, the topic here is now a bit "MOOT" since the Wedge Pack has been eliminated.........the entire pack. There have been legislative sessions in Olympia since then to discuss the future of wolves in Washington State and the outcome has been that ranchers can now legally shoot any wolf that they "catch" endangering their livestock. The keyword is "catch". If the wolf is not actually in the act of threatening or endangering said livestock, then it is still illegal to shoot them.
It was said in the news that both "sides" applaud this decision as being fair. I would question whether ranchers would admit to shooting any wolf that was not actually engaged in trying to bring down their livestock. That's like asking somebody pulled over for speeding if they had a valid reason. Sure, officer, I was going 80 in a 50 mph zone because I really, REALLY had to get home fast to go "pee" vs. Nah, officer, I just liked to disobey the law.
Please do protect the wolves. Let wolves live free and healthy in their natural environment. There is space on planet earth for every living creature, including human beings.
come on, let the wolves live, stop hunting, killing animals
Terry D., ranchers in Oregon have the right and DO shoot wolves on lands where their cattle graze. They interviewed several ranchers in Eastern Oregon right after the Wedge Pack had been shot and most carried rifles when working their herds, but most also said they would move cows with young calves and cows that were going to give birth SOON, to lower pastures where they could be better protected. They didn't WANT to kill wolves, but they surely would if one threatened their stock.
public land is public. it does not belong solely to ranchers. washington state should listen to the state of oregon. i am so ashamed of these people. t
It's starting to feel like the latest U.S. Presidential campaign.
I quite AGREE, Rosemary, but it is now a dead issue. FOUR MONTHS old. Take your P.O.V. and opinons to the Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife in Olympia, Washington. I've posted the link to their website.
The livestock industry does not have any "right" to public lands. Public lands are the last refuge for native wildlife, not for exotic livestock, which were brought over to this country by the Spanish Conquistadores. The U.S. Army went ahead later and killed off most of the native tribes, and enslaved the rest. The wolves, mountain lions, grizzly bears, prairiedogs, bison, etc. were also slaughtered to near-extinction to make way for the livestock. Many of the livestock barons who took over western lands were in fact former plantation owners and slave managers, many were criminals, who no longer could live in the South. Public lands are the National Forests, Wilderness areas and BLM lands where often the last biodiversity is found.
The government politicians are heavily lobbied by the livestock industry, and the ranchers get government handouts at taxpayer expense, to graze cattle and sheep (exotics) on land that ecologically devasted due to the grazing: this includes soil erosion, loss of stream-side vegetation, water depletion and pollution, and native species decline.
We are running out of water here in the West, and most of the water projects, e.i., dams, diversions, etc., are for livestock. I
Ranchers do not belong on our public lands. If they cannot make it on their private lands, then they should get out of business. Most business owners must make it on their own--they do not get taxpayer subsidies. The public lands belong to the wildlife, period.
Please check ou
The wolves are already gone, but ranchers have the right to use public lands to rais etheir cattle; so that let the wild fana out of any hope to survive, I am apalied to know the greed of people can be stronger than the right of the original habitants of the land to survive, so sad; if the governments continue taking this kind of choices in short won't be no wild animals in any place, and for sure we will pay the price.
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