(The Center Square) – Members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission met over three days last week in Spokane to discuss a number of topics, but concerns over gray wolf predation dominated comments from the public.
The commission recently voted against a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife recommendation to downlist the gray wolf from endangered to threatened, or sensitive, status.
Downlisting the wolves would have meant lesser penalties for poaching, as well as somewhat easier access to permits to kill wolves that attack livestock.
“We just went through an eight month process without the commission so much as dipping a toe into the eastern half of the state,” Ryan Garrett said during a public comment period.
Garrett blasted the commission for making its decision on the wolf without talking to people most impacted by the ruling.
“Your disdain for rural perspectives has been demonstrated countless times,” he said.
Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, told commission members growers and ranchers in his district are struggling because of the wolves.