Today the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to approve a state conservation and management plan for the gray wolf.

Crafted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with the help of a seventeen-member public stakeholder advisory group, the plan went through an extensive vetting process.  WDFW consulted outside agencies and wolf experts, and conducted a blind scientific peer review. They held two public comment periods and several workshops, receiving comments from over 65,000 people – mostly supporting wolf recovery. The final product, adopted by the commission today, presents a science-based approach that balances the legal and biological requirements of a recovery plan with the real needs for on-the-ground management tools and a fair compensation package for the small number of livestock producers who may face impacts.

Derrick Knowles, an avid hunter who works for wildlife group Conservation Northwest, participated as a member of the Wolf Working Group.   Knowles congratulated WDFW and the Commission for their foresight and leadership towards finalizing a state plan for wolves:

“While it isn’t any one special interest group’s perfect plan, it’s the right plan for Washington and I applaud the Fish and Wildlife Commission for their leadership today.”

“Throughout the process I worked closely with hunters, cattlemen, scientists and other conservationists and my experience as a working group member convinced me that we can work through most concerns and differences, and be better off for it.”

“I am really proud of the work everyone has done to get us to this point.  We all spent countless hours serving on the Wolf Working Group to help shape the plan in a way that addressed everyone’s needs.  There was a lot of compromise.”

Jasmine Minbashian, who directs Conservation Northwest’s wolf program is also pleased with the outcome:

 “There is clearly a lot of support for a balanced wolf recovery plan in Washington, despite opposition from a minority.  A majority of the wolf working group supported it – including other livestock groups and some hunters.  Finding the middle ground on what is a polarizing issue – I’d call it a big success.”

“We’ve learned lessons from the conflict over wolves in the Rockies.  We want Washington to be a state where wolf recovery works without the divisiveness found elsewhere in the West.  This plan gives us the best shot at that goal.”

More Background on the Wolf Plan

Scientific credibility. The heart of the plan is that wolves remain protected under state endangered species law until there are at least 15 breeding pairs well-distributed among three separate areas across the state. (There is only one breeding pair in a pack, so 15 of them would likely equal less than 200 wolves.) A minority opinion wanted this number lowered, but independent experts advised that 15 pairs is a bare minimum needed for recovery. By comparison, we have 2,000 cougars and 25,000 black bears in our state.

Wolf habitat in Washington. Some critics of the wolf plan questioned whether Washington has habitat to support more than 200 wolves, yet our state has over 21 million acres of forestland, the preferred habitat of the gray wolf. In this we compare well to Idaho and Montana, and better than Minnesota where there are now 3,000 wolves, 5 million people, and a stable population of deer that sustains a level of sport hunting much bigger than ours.

Co-existence is part of the plan. This plan provides important management tools, such as pack monitoring and financial compensation to ranchers who lose livestock to wolves. In cases where wolves are caught in the act of attacking livestock or pets, or where repeated attacks on livestock occur, lethal control is allowed like in many other states’ wolf plans. The plan also allows for managing wolves if we encounter excessive impacts to deer, elk or caribou herds.

Bryan and Deb Gotham said, "Our dream is for generations of our family to raise cattle, horses, and timber in this beautiful country. Selling the development rights helps us today without compromising our dream for the future. We're very happy about it."

The easement was purchased entirely with private dollars raised by the non-profit wildlife conservation organization Conservation Northwest. The easement will soon be reassigned to the Okanogan Land Trust, based in Tonasket, which works to protect open space and working lands in eastern Okanogan and western Ferry Counties. Walter Henze, OLT board member, said, "We're proud to partner with the Gothams to help protect this area's heritage. We are also excited to have another project in Ferry County, and hope we can do more work here in the future."

Conservation Northwest and Okanogan Land Trust are also partnering with the Gothams on an application to the Forest Legacy Program administered by the state Dept. of Natural Resources. This application was one of the top three in the state, moving it forward to compete nationally for federal funds that would allow the purchase of a working forest easement on most of the rest of the Gotham property. Conservation Northwest also has an option for the purchase of an easement on additional Gotham acres.

This effort is part of Conservation Northwest’s program to collaboratively protect wildlife habitat on public and private lands in northeast Washington. Mitch Friedman, Conservation Northwest’s executive director, said, "The Gotham Ranch is providing beef, timber, and livelihoods in a way that is compatible with the needs of wolverine, lynx, and other wildlife. Nestled right up against the Kettle Crest and the potential wilderness lands there, this represents a great balance that I think a lot of people can get behind."

“The Commissioner is attempting to defend the state’s trust lands from harmful and poorly conceived development,” said Dave Werntz, Science and Conservation Director at Conservation Northwest. “We’re pleased that the Commissioner will have his day in court.”

The proposed powerline is 26 miles long and 100 feet wide, crossing 12 miles of DNR land and requiring the construction and maintenance of over 20 miles of new road. The line and road network would cut through the largest contiguous block of State-owned shrub-steppe habitat in the Methow Valley, fragmenting wildlife habitat, degrading range lands, increasing fire risk, eroding soils, and damaging fisheries. The powerline could be constructed and maintained within the existing powerline corridor along State highways with fewer impacts and lower overall cost. 

The case began about two years ago when the Okanogan PUD initiated a lawsuit against DNR amidst discussions about the PUD’s easement request. Attorney General McKenna initially represented DNR in opposition to the lawsuit, but after an Okanogan County Superior Court ruled that the PUD could condemn State trust lands, the Attorney General refused to represent Commissioner  Goldmark in an appeal. State law prevents Commissioner Goldmark from hiring outside Counsel. As a result, Commissioner Goldmark was forced to take the unprecedented step of suing Attorney General McKenna to resolve the dispute.

“It is unfortunate that Attorney General McKenna took the law into his own hands and refused to defend DNR, his client state agency that is supposed to protect sensitive public lands,” said Mark Lawler, National Forest Committee Chair for Sierra Club’s Washington Chapter. “The people elected the Attorney General to represent state interests, including state agencies, and to uphold the interests of the public. The people elected Goldmark to manage and protect public lands. The Attorney General should not be in the position of deciding whether or not Commissioner Goldmark, or any agency leader, is worthy of representation.”

NRCS and Conservation Northwest raised the funds to purchase development rights from the Dawsons on 167 acres of highly productive hay and pasture land and a riparian wetland. On the remaining 337 acres of mixed grass and forest land, Conservation Northwest raised funds to pay a reduced price for the development rights, reflecting value donated by John and Melva Dawson. INLT will hold the conservation easements and ensure that the protections are enforced in perpetuity. The Dawsons still own and manage the land and pay property taxes and may sell or pass the ranch to their heirs. They will continue to run their working cattle ranch subject to the terms of the easements.

In addition to their family land, the Dawsons hold grazing leases on over 14,000 acres of private and public lands. “Keeping ranchers like the Dawsons on the ranch through tools such as conservation easements means that many thousands of acres, both owned and leased, will remain in open space and continue to provide habitat for wildlife that use and move through these lands,” says Jay Kehne of Conservation Northwest. “Without a viable home ranch, the Dawsons could very well give up their leases on adjoining private grounds, and given the current economy those lands would most likely be sold for development.”

It took many partners to bring this deal together. Some of the funding comes from NRCS’ Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses and to protect prime soils. Conservation Northwest invested significant time and money to help make this project a success. Inland Northwest Land Trust applied for to NRCS for FRPP funding and negotiated the easement agreements and is bound to enforce the terms of the easements in perpetuity. And many individual donors made contributions to cover the costs of this transaction.

As part of the deal the Dawsons gave up significant development rights. Reflecting on this project, John Dawson said, “It took a lot of time and partners working together and I thank everyone who helped and contributed. It would be good to see more ranchers have this opportunity and more funds for the program.”

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife places high value on this property. According to area biologist Dana Base, its uplands provide habitat for several important species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, including the bald and golden eagles, white-headed and pileated woodpeckers, flammulated owl, western bluebird, and pygmy nuthatch. The property also provides valuable habitat for deer and elk.

The Dawsons are long-time residents of Colville. Inland Northwest Land Trust and Conservation Northwest hope that this project will interest other ranchers in conservation easements and eventually protect even more important habitat lands and preserve a rural way of life.

"The land trust is all about conserving working lands and wildlife habitat, like the Dawson place,” says Inland Northwest Land Trust Executive Director Chris DeForest. “The home place is the heart of that valley, and the Dawsons are a cornerstone of the local economy."

Inland Northwest Land Trust (INLT) is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to protect the region’s natural lands, waters, and working farms and forests for the benefit of wildlife, our community, and future generations. Working with willing, private landowners, INLT has helped conserve over 11,000 acres of prime wetlands, forests, and open space in eastern Washington and northern Idaho.

For more information about Inland Northwest Land Trust, call Chris DeForest at 509-328-2939 or visit www.inlandnwlandtrust.org.

For more information about Conservation Northwest, call 509-470-1767 or visit www.conservationnw.org.

For more information about the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program contact Monica Hoover at (360) 704-7784 or visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/.

A panel of regional wolf experts will discuss the political and ecological status of wolves in Washington State. Learn how to become an advocate for gray wolf recovery in the Pacific Northwest.

Take this opportunity to also view the ongoing special exhibit at the Burke: Wolves and Wild Lands in the 21st Century.

The finalization of Washington’s Conservation and Management Plan is approaching quickly, and this is an important opportunity to learn how and why wolves are valuable to Washington State’s ecosystems and wildlife heritage. In addition, the status of ongoing wolf recovery efforts across the state will be discussed.

Speakers include:

Harriet Allen— Endangered Species Program Manager at WA Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Jasmine Minbashian— Special Projects director for Conservation Northwest,
Linda Saunders— Conservation Director for Wolf Haven International, and
Matt Skoglund—Wildlife Advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council.

Event cosponsors: Wolf Haven International, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council

For more information contact Kit McGurn, Conservation Northwest’s outreach associate: 206.675.9747 x201 kit@conservationnw.org

More about the event, online calendar

More on the state plan and summer activities, conservationnw.org/wolves 
 

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed on a listing determination date of no later than September 30, 2013 for wolverines in the contiguous U.S.  The agreement was formalized in a legal settlement reached between Center for Biological Diversity and the Service.
• In December, wolverines became a candidate for Endangered Species Act protections in the western United States due to their low numbers and the decline of habitat with persistent spring snowpack.
• The 2013 deadline puts wolverines near the top of the list of more than 250 other candidate species that the Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to consider for listing during the next five years.

BOZEMAN, Mont. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will determine whether wolverines deserve full protection of the  Endangered Species Act by 2013.  Wolverines in the contiguous U.S. were added to the Candidate species list last December because of their low numbers and the threats posed to their habitat by global warming, but continue to await federal protection. The best data available suggests there are fewer than 300 animals across the entire western U.S., with only 35 individuals--just a tenth of the population--successfully breeding. 

“This is welcome news indeed for the wolverine,” said David Gaillard, Rocky Mountain representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “The Emergency Room waiting area was crowded when the wolverine entered last December, and we knew the species couldn’t afford to wait very long for ESA protections.  But we’re hopeful that, by making a final listing decision within the next two years, the Fish and Wildlife Service will have wolverines on a path to recovery in the very near future.”

“With today’s agreement, the wolverine has a shot at survival,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity.  “Saving the wolverine will require swift action to address global warming, which is gravely threatening spring snowpacks the wolverine needs to survive.”

“Can anyone say an animal this rare is not at serious risk of disappearing forever? Its numbers are dangerously low.  Its population spans five western states, with dispersers in two others.  Plus it is at direct risk from climate change, a problem that the federal government has failed to fully grapple with.” said Tim Preso, attorney for Earthjustice. “It is high time that the wolverine received long-awaited legal protections.”

“The wolverine is in dire straits,” said Dave Werntz with Conservation Northwest. “Its current plight is exactly what Congress had in mind when it passed the Endangered Species Act in order to save America’s wildlife from extinction.”

The following conservation organizations have sought to protect the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act since petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do so in the Year 2000: Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Northwest, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Friends of the Clearwater, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Idaho Conservation League, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Wyoming Outdoor Council.]

Links:

Read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement regarding the revised workplan.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wolverine webpage.
Visit the Wolverine Network, a new site dedicated to wolverine research and conservation.
Watch PBS Nature’s documentary on wolverines, “Chasing the Phantom.”

“We all started from the sensible premise that rare species that rely on rare old forests deserve protection, and bona fide restoration projects that improve wildlife habitat should move forward efficiently,” said Dave Werntz, science director at Conservation Northwest. “The rest was figuring out the details.”

The Survey and Manage rule requires field surveys to determine whether rare and sensitive species are present so that logging plans or other habitat disturbing projects can be adjusted to avoid harm.

The agreement requires targeted wildlife surveys and protection of core habitat when planning timber sales in older forests.  But surveys are not required in young plantations, degraded fire-prone forests or other areas when specific habitat restoration activities are proposed.  Fuel reduction projects directly adjacent to homes, recreation projects, and routine road maintenance are similarly exempt from surveys.  As a result, projects with defined social and ecological value may proceed with increased efficiency. 

“This landmark agreement resolves a longstanding dispute and lays a fresh path toward good restoration projects which improve forest habitat, protect our most vulnerable wildlife, and generate timber for the local mills,” said Joseph Vaile, Campaign Director at Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.

The parties to the agreement include Conservation Northwest, Oregon Wild, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, American Lands Alliance, Siskiyou Regional Education Project, Klamath Forest Alliance, Umpqua Watersheds, Center for Biological Diversity, Northcoast Environmental Center, Gifford Pinchot Task Force, Environmental Protection Information Center, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.  Conservation groups were represented by the Western Environmental Law Center.

“Conservation Northwest is proud to be a part of the effort to document the return of the wolf to the Cascade Mountains,” said Mitch Friedman, executive director for Conservation Northwest.  “The wolf’s return to the Cascades is an important milestone for restoring the wildlife heritage of these wild mountains.  Wolves play an important role in maintaining a balance of predator and prey that has a trickle down benefits for all sorts of wildlife from eagles to bears.” 

This announcement of a new wolf pack in the Cascades comes on the heels of reports that only two animals remain in the original Lookout Pack. Authorities believe their numbers were severely reduced by illegal killing. A recent federal grand jury indicted three Washington residents on twelve counts of wildlife violations, including killing up to five endangered wolves from the Lookout Pack, conspiracy, and various counts of smuggling hides and poached animal parts in and out of the country.     

To address this challenge to wolf recovery in Washington, Conservation Northwest recently partnered with WDFW to establish a state reward fund to apprehend poachers who illegally kill Washington’s endangered wildlife, including wolves and grizzly bears.

In the meantime, the state has convened a diverse group of stakeholders, including Conservation Northwest, to develop a state conservation and management plan for wolves.  “We’re working to make sure that as wolves return to Washington they are managed in a way that minimizes hardship on local ranchers and hunters, while still allowing them to recover.” Friedman said.

For more info, visit: http://www.conservationnw.org/wildlife-habitat/gray-wolf

Photos available for press use only, credits are listed: Conservation Northwest (B&W) and Western Transportation Institute (color image): Photo gallery

The "Cascade Mountains wolf" has lived in the forested regions from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Coast. Early settlers described the wolf as "common" and speculate that one or more wolf packs may have occurred in each of all major river drainages. Yet with the arrival of settlers came animosity towards the wolf, government-sponsored bounty payments, and, eventually, extirpation of the wolf and nearly all other large predators, like the grizzly bear, from large parts of the Northwest. The return gray wolf, as a top carnivore, could benefit Cascade ecosystems, as seen in other areas such as northwestern Montana and Yellowstone National Park.   

About Conservation Northwest’s wildlife monitoring program:
The Cascades Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project involves volunteers on the ground to create citizen science to better understand wildlife movement and presence on both sides of the Cascades crest. Citizen's science combines wintertime snow tracking with year-long motion-sensitive remote camera work. The program has captured images of lynx, wolverine and wolves.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) estimates that there are fewer than 20 grizzly bears in the Cascades. But with no officially verified sightings in more than a decade, some biologists have expressed concern that the Cascades grizzly bears have all but vanished. At nearly 10,000 square miles, the North Cascades Ecosystem is the second largest of six official grizzly bear recovery zones designated by the federal government and the only one outside of the Rocky Mountains.

Cascades grizzly in the news

Conservation Northwest has lead the push for grizzly bear recovery in the Pacific Northwest for more than twenty years. Joe Scott, Conservation Northwest’s director of international conservation, issues the following statement:

“We welcome this confirmation that grizzly bears still roam the North Cascades. But it doesn’t change the fact that their foothold in these mountains is as tenuous as that of a climber on crumbling rock. The Cascades grizzly bear population has been languishing at dangerously low levels for more than 50 years. It will not recover without pro-active strategies to boost the population, an action identified in the Service’s North Cascades Grizzly Bear Recovery Strategy 15 years ago.”

“Conservation Northwest has been working in Washington and British Columbia to secure and recover our region’s grizzly bears and protect and connect their habitat. The Cascades grizzly is the last remaining population on the Pacific Coast of the lower 48 states.”

“This lonely bear has friends: There is demonstrably solid community, tribal, and political support for grizzly bear recovery in western Washington. Seed money has been committed by private parties to help fund recovery actions. The Grizzly Bear Outreach Project has been working to educate communities in the area for nearly a decade. As a trans-boundary ecosystem, grizzly bear recovery efforts in the Cascades can be shared between the US and Canada, and Washington and British Columbia and serve as a globally significant conservation success story.”

“We are calling on the federal and state governments to immediately initiate actions to ensure that this bear is not alone and that it has the opportunity to serve as the foundation for a recovered grizzly bear population in the Cascades. Conservation Northwest is poised to contribute to the effort to the best of our ability.”

Full USFWS press release availble here.

Photos courtesy of Joe Sebille, for press use only. Click thumbnails for larger versions. Need help with photos? Email barbara@conservationnw.org

“The Colville NF’s preliminary wilderness recommendations for some truly spectacular and deserving wild country including much of the Kettle Crest, Abercrombie Mountain, and additions to the Salmo Priest Wilderness is a step in the right direction towards long-awaited Congressional designation as wilderness,” said Mike Petersen, Executive Director of The Lands Council.

All of these blocks of rugged backcountry as well as many others have been proposed by conservationists for protection for nearly four decades.  Without roads and given their mostly steep terrain, these areas have little timber value, but are extremely popular with hikers, hunters, equestrians, and backcountry skiers.  All of those uses would continue under a wilderness designation, as would cattle grazing.  Other lower elevation areas that also qualify for wilderness consideration, however, were not recommended for wilderness in the proposed action.

“While the proposed action recommends wilderness for some of the most scenic Crown Jewels of the Colville forest, it disappointingly leaves out several thousand acres of wilderness quality lands along Sherman Pass and other deserving wildlands like the 13-mile canyon area south of Republic, which scientists have shown is important for species of wildlife like the Canada lynx and wolverine that are known to move through the region,” added Petersen.

Over eight years of collaboration on the Colville National Forest has made it a model for other forests struggling with ongoing conflicts over forest management.  The Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, a group that includes timber businesses, foresters, community leaders, and conservation groups including Conservation Northwest and The Lands Council, has been instrumental in ending the timber wars in northeast Washington and making it possible for a balanced forest plan that includes some wilderness and increased timber harvest to move forward.

“Wilderness is a necessary and important component of a balanced forest plan for the Colville, but the proposed plan also includes areas where restoration and timber harvest would occur, areas for motorized and backcountry recreation, and other things the local community has asked for,” said Derrick Knowles with Conservation Northwest.  “It’s nobody’s perfect plan, but it’s got a little of something in it for everybody,” added Knowles.

Forest Service wilderness recommendations are often the first step towards eventual permanent Congressional wilderness protection. “We will continue to collaborate with others who have a stake in the future of the forest in hopes of reaching agreement on a balanced plan for the Colville National Forest that has enough community support for Congress to introduce legislation that would designate new recreation and conservation areas, new trails, and wilderness areas,” added Knowles.

More information on the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests' forest plan revision process

The company specializes in custom cutting and manufacturing beef products for Food Services of America which provides about a million pounds of beef weekly to customers in the west and upper mid-western states. As a provider of beef to Ameristar Meats, the ranch was chosen for videotaping because of the area’s natural beauty as well as the style of ranching used by the Gothams. 

"Today’s American consumer wants to feel good about their beef," said Tim Loveall, President of Ameristar Meats, who grew up in Colville on a farm that had been homesteaded by Bryan Gotham’s grandfather. "The Gothams practice the type of stewardship that people imagine when they think of cattle ranging free without harming our precious water and wildlife resources. Ameristar believes people will value our all-natural and Angus beef programs when we get the word out."

The Gothams own 2,200 acres between Republic and Sherman Pass, and lease for summer grazing more than 70,000 acres of Colville National Forest high country pastures on the Kettle Crest, south of Highway 20. Much of the public land grazed by Gotham cattle is roadless and proposed for designation as wilderness.

Environmental stewardship is a priority for the Gothams. They partner with Conservation Northwest, which is raising public and private funds to purchase conservation easements on the ranch. The Gothams intend to use these funds to expand their acreage. "We want our kids and grandkids to ranch the place like we do, working in a clean outdoors to produce quality beef and timber," said Bryan and Deb Gotham.

The unusual group of riders on this cattle drive tells an important story about American ranching. Three generations were present, including teen Logan Gotham.. People who process and distribute the beef were helping the ranchers who raise it. Also among the riders was Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest. “My organization is proud to associate with this campaign to highlight Gotham beef as nature-friendly," said Friedman. "Good stewardship maintains the open space and wildlife habitat we all value, and is compatible with the highest form of land protection in America: wilderness."

If the US Congress designates that part of the Colville National Forest as wilderness, the Gothams can continue with the same ranching practices they use under present administrative land designations. The land will also remain open for public fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, horse riding, and other uses. "We support wilderness designation," said Bryan and Deb Gotham, "because it won’t change our range practices and it may improve the marketing value of our beef and our bottom line."

“We in Washington do so much to protect our wildlife and wild places that senseless acts of poaching like this are a blow to us all,” said Mitch Friedman with the wildlife group Conservation Northwest.  “Poachers like this who deliberately try to wipe out a population of endangered wildlife need to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Washington has fewer than 20 wolves in several known packs that have naturally returned to habitat they once roamed in abundance from neighboring wolf populations in Canada and Idaho.  Washington’s small but recovering population of wolves is considered highly endangered.  The wolves at the center of the poaching case in the Cascade Mountains surrounding the Methow Valley are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Despite some peoples’ belief that wolves will quickly grow in numbers, wolf recovery in Washington has been slow and difficult since they were killed off to extinction over 70 years ago. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently putting the finishing touches on a Conservation and Management Plan for the state’s wolves, which has been drafted with the input of the WA Wolf Working Group, a group of diverse interests including ranchers, hunters, conservationists, biologists, and others including a representative from Conservation Northwest. 

Wolves have lived in Washington for the last 10,000 years and played a critical ecological role as top predators until a massive extermination campaign by local settlers severely reduced their numbers in the early part of last century.  In recent years, support for wolf recovery in Washington has grown, with more than 70% of Washington residents surveyed in a WDFW poll supporting restoring wolves to the state.

“The vast majority of Washington citizens support wolf recovery.  They’re a majestic icon of our cherished wild places from the Cascades to the Selkirks,” said Friedman.  “Their return has been widely celebrated here in the Evergreen State, and senseless acts of wildlife killing won’t be tolerated.”

The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has spoken out strongly against illegal wolf killing.  Many hunting groups have also come out denouncing illegal killing, stating that illegal killing is wrong, self-defeating, and exactly opposite of how sportsmen created conservation and the privilege of ethical hunting in the first place.

“We made mistakes in the past by almost wiping out many kinds of important wildlife in the West, including the wolf, and now we are learning just how important they are to maintaining a healthy, functioning balance of predator and prey in the wild,” added Friedman.  “We have the responsibility to restore wolves and find ways to live with them in their native lands here in Washington.”

Wildlife Overpass Planned

Today, Governor Christine Gregoire signed the Transportation Funding bill that will keep the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project moving forward and build an overpass for wildlife near Keechelus Dam. 

“This is a high priority project for our state, with dramatic benefits to safety, freight movement, recreation and wildlife connectivity,” said Charlie Raines, I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition Director.  “This will build the first wildlife overpass in Washington State, which will stand as an icon not only for smart design of I-90 but for wildlife connectivity in the region.”

Bipartisan Support

This project had bipartisan support, and strong push from both sides of the Cascades. House Transportation Committee Chair Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island) provided the leadership in the House, with support from Ranking Minority Member Mike Armstrong (R-Wenatchee), Bill Hinkle (R-Kittitas County) and several westside representatives.  In the Senate, Ranking Minority Member Curtis King (R-Yakima) was instrumental in securing this provision, with support from Committee Chair Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island) and Vice Chair Scott White (D-Seattle).

A unique set of I-90 project supporters worked together during the legislative session including AAA, Conservation Northwest, Washington Potato Commission, Defenders of Wildlife, Kittitas County, Mountains to Sound Greenway, Central Washington University, and Sierra Club.

Jen Watkins of Conservation Northwest added, “This project had a broad base of support this session from economic to environmental interests, demonstrating the safety benefits for both drivers and animals.” 

Using Savings to Build Next Phase

The I-90 Project began construction in 2009 after extensive public and environmental review.  The design of the 15 mile project (from Hyak to Easton) includes increasing the highway to six lanes, expanding snowsheds, and incorporating fifteen wildlife crossing structures, mostly underpasses at creeks.

The competitive bidding environment brought contracts in below cost estimates.  Project supporters wanted these savings to be used for additional construction in the corridor, rather than be reallocated to other projects.

In this bill, the Legislature directed the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to apply savings from Phase 1 of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project to future phases along the corridor from Hyak to Easton. $8 million from current savings will go for design of the next two miles, and any savings from the current contract bidding (Phase 1C) can be used to construct the next phase, which will include a truck chain-up area and the first wildlife overpass in the state.  We will know the total amount of savings available when bids on Phase 1C are opened in June. WSDOT can now start the design of the next phase this summer and should be ready for construction in late 2012. 

More information:

I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project Page:  http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i90/snoqualmiepasseast/

I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition Legislative Request Page including information on the next phase to be designed and constructed with savings and letters of support.  http://www.i90wildlifebridges.org/funding.htm

Suggested Contacts:

Karen Bonaudi, Washington Potato Commission

Asst. Executive Director

509.765.8845

kbonaudi@potatoes.com

Kirk Holmes

Kittitas County

509.962.7523

kirk.holmes@co.kittitas.wa.us

Dave Overstreet, AAA Washington

Public Affairs Director

DaveOverstreet@aaawin.com

(D) 425.467.7740 (T) 800.562.2582

Within the Service’s definition of the Pacific Northwest, there is only one confirmed breeding pack - the Lookout Pack in Washington’s North Cascades, which state biologists and law enforcement believe has been decimated by illegal killing.  Since they were discovered in 2008, the Lookout Pack has gone from as many as ten animals to two remaining individuals.  Two of the pack’s wolves were likely killed by poachers in the Methow Valley.  Another wolf, possibly from the Lookout Pack, was illegally killed and its body dumped on Highway 20 near Rainy Pass.  State biologists and law enforcement officials have indicated they believe the disappearance (in spring of 2010) of the pack’s pregnant alpha pregnant was caused by poachers. 

“We welcome a robust scientific review of wolves in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s very timely since wolves are making a comeback in the Northwest,” said Jasmine Minbashian of Conservation Northwest, a wildlife conservation organization that has been involved in documenting the return of wolves to the Cascade Mountains.  “We hope that the review will bring attention to rampant poaching - one of the biggest obstacles to recovery of our wolves.”

Conservation Northwest announced this winter that it is offering a $7,500 reward for information that leads to the conviction of a wolf poacher in Washington. “If we are to see a successful recovery of wolves in the Northwest, then the Service needs to address the problem of illegal killing of these endangered animals,” said Minbashian.

Though only one pack has been confirmed in the Pacific Northwest, there have also been several credible reports of wolves in the central Cascades of Washington and Oregon and the Klamath Basin in Oregon, including a wolf that was photographed along Highway 20 near the Three Sisters Wilderness in 2009.

According to a fact sheet from the USFWS, the extent of their review will likely include those portions of Oregon and Washington west of the Northern Rockies DPS boundary, northern California, western Nevada, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

While often at odds on issues, Rep. Joel Kretz and Mitch Friedman, executive director for Conservation Northwest, announced they are working together to find a compromise on policies surrounding cougar management.

Senate Bill 5356, which would authorize a five-year extension of a pilot program that allows counties to opt into cougar hunting with hounds, was initially opposed by Friedman and his organization. However, he and Kretz have been working together to find common ground that meets the needs of those working to protect cougars and residents who are dealing with livestock and pet depredation and public safety issues.

“It’s true that Conservation Northwest and I have a basic and fundamental disagreement on how to address cougar management in the state of Washington, but as we hashed out our differences this week, we found a sliver of common ground and are both willing to work in good faith to build on it,” said Kretz, R-Wauconda. “We have a handshake deal and we’ll see where it goes from here.”

Kretz explained the agreement is one that would allow for extension of the cougar hunting pilot program while looking into the complex science of cougar management, reforming cougar boot hunt policy, and increasing penalties assessed for cougar poaching.

“Conservation Northwest was a core proponent of Initiative 655, which banned hound hunting of cougars back in 1996. But even with the benefit of research on cougar management since that effort, the science is not crystal clear or widely agreed upon. I think Representative Kretz and I want the best policy that yields the best results for both cougars and residents living within cougar habitat,” Friedman said. “If we can build on this understanding in a meaningful way that benefits people and wildlife, we should.”

Both men expressed the need to bring their viewpoints to the table and have them balanced with sound science, the realities of the unpredictable nature of wild animals, and stricter penalties for poaching cougars.

CONTACT: Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7252