WDFW Should Not Authorize Killing of Wolves in Unnamed NE Washington Pack

Defenders of Wildlife has asked the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to refrain from issuing a lethal removal order for wolves in the area once held by the former Profanity Peak pack.

Shawn Cantrell, vice president for Field Conservation Programs at Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:

"Under these troubling circumstances, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife should not authorize killing more wolves in the area of the former Profanity Peak pack. Such a decision would not reflect the letter or the intent of the 2017 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol, and risks eroding both the credibility of the Wolf Advisory Group and public trust in the Department.

“Non-lethal tools should always be the first choice, and we work with landowners to identify and implement unique strategies that work for their individual situations. In this case, the methods used were inadequate for these heavily forested public lands, a known area of wolf activity. Coexistence, when done properly, is the best way to deter wolf-livestock conflicts from occurring in the first place.

“The failure here to adapt grazing practices and implementation of nonlethal conflict deterrence measures is inconsistent with the spirit of collaboration and coexistence.”