We are asking that anti wolf bills 5187, 5188, 5199 not be adopted as law by the Washington state congress.
Senate Bill 5187 would allow livestock families to shoot and kill wolves on sight.
Senate Bill 5188 would allow counties to declare "Imminent Threat" to commercial interests if wolf packs reach a certain criteria and give Sheriff's Deparments ability to use lethal action to remove them
Senate Bill 5199 would add wolves to list of big game species which are allowed to be hunted in this state.
These bills would be detrimental to the rebuilding wolf population in Washington state. Force ranchers to use proven wolf deterrent methods instead.
After many years of effort, a group of conservationists, state officials, the Farm Bureau and others have been working on a state management plan for the wolf. Although not perfect, the plan is likely to be a step forward for wolves. If passed, these bills would counter act this long and extensive public process to develop the state's wolf conservation and management plan. These bills represent a minority view that should not be made into law. In fact, most citizens want wolves: Recent polls found that more than 75 percent of Washington residents supported restoring wolves, including a majority of rural residents.
Decades of ecological research demonstrate that wolves have profound and in many cases beneficial impacts on ecosystems, improving the health of ungulate populations, reducing ungulate browse in critical riparian areas thereby benefiting songbird and beaver populations, and reducing coyote populations, benefiting fox and antelope populations, which both are subject to coyote depredation. Wolves are an ancient and iconic part of the North American natural heritage. DO NOT contribute to removing them permanently from the United States.
Thank you, sincerely,
Livja Sorenson
