Please take action by Oct. 12, 2014.

Tell Governor Inslee to Protect Washington 's Wolves

Washington's state wolf plan was adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2011 after being assembled over five years to incorporate the views of thousands of stakeholders and scientists. This plan is central to the state's efforts to recover wolves and minimize conflicts -- especially with commercial livestock operators, often opposed to wolf recovery.

But the plan is fatally flawed because it does not mandate that livestock owners employ non-lethal measures until there is a depredation. In addition, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife lethal take provisions is discretionary. This provides a loophole that allows politics and special interest money to kill wolves. The Fish & Wildlife Commission has expanded who can kill wolves to just about anybody who feels they are their pets are threatened by them.

This summer Kettle Range Conservation Group and other wolf conservation groups petitioned the Fish & Wildlife Commission to adopt rules that would make key parts of the wolf plan enforceable. We asked for guidelines that ensure wolves are only killed when depredating livestock has become a chronic problem and only after ranchers take nonlethal steps, first – not after an initial depredation of their livestock. But on Aug. 1, the Commission denied our petition.

The gray wolf is a state listed endangered species – west of U.S. 97 it is a federal endangered species. That’s why we’re asking Governor Inslee for help.

Please join us and take action now to urge Governor Jay Inslee to protect wolves with strong, legally enforceable rules that honor the state's wolf plan.

I am writing to thank you for taking an interest in management of Washington's magnificent and endangered wolves. The unfortunate shooting of the alpha female of the Huckleberry pack was the result of inadequate use of non-lethal safeguards. Strong leadership is needed to prevent this unfortunate outcome from being repeated.

I urge you to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure Washington adopts strong rules similar to those already in effect in Oregon that ensure wolves are only killed when chronic depredation of livestock has occurred and when all nonlethal measures have been exhausted.