Washington Fish and Wildlife Department is firm that wolves remain protected under state law in all of the state-
Wolves are federally delisted in much of Eastern Washington now, but the state’s own endangered species act protects them all throughout the state. Officials recently reminded folks.
The state only has a half dozen to a dozen or so wolves. The original pack discovered now seems heavily chopped apart from illegal killing, but other wolves roam parts of the state, probably in at least one pack. The Lookout Pack, the original pack, was not a reintroduction or part of the Idaho wolves drifting westward. It came out of coastal Canada on its own.
Wolves remain on Washington state’s endangered list. AP in the Seattle Times.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
This puts a little reversal on the states’ rights argument Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho like to hide behind all the time.
What has happened with the investigation into the killing of two wolves in north central Washington from whence the pelts were shipped to Canada for processing (tanning) by members of the family which killed the wolves? Has not the federal government had enough time to come to some conclusion?
Perhaps a new DPS for wolves of the Cascades and into CA and NV.
http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=5719