WW1 Adds $10,000 to Reward Offered for Illegal Killing of Wolves

We are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the recent illegal killings of two gray wolves in western Washington. This brings the total reward, including contributions from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and other organizations, to $40,000. Anyone with information is urged to contact the USFWS or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Thank You for Surpassing Our EOY Fundraising Goals!

We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve surpassed our $40,000 end-of-year fundraising goal! Your support helps power our work to protect wildlife and reform policies for a better future. But our work isn’t done yet—your continued support remains essential to everything we do. Together, we will keep making an impact for wildlife in 2025 and beyond. Thank you for being part of this vital movement!

New Appointments to the WA Fish & Wildlife Commission

Before leaving office, Governor Inslee appointed Ferry County resident Lynn O’Connor and reappointed commission Vice-Chair Dr. Tim Ragen to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. We appreciate the reappointment of Dr. Ragen and look forward to working with the new commission.

A Call for Agency Reform

Washington is home to diverse wildlife, spectacular waterways, and magnificent wild spaces, which the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife holds in trust for all current and future Washingtonians.

The duty to preserve and protect these resources has never been more important than it is now, as we watch the accelerating collapse of healthy ecosystems, experience unprecedented extinction events, and experience the effects of the coming climate catastrophe.

But the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has betrayed its solemn trust responsibilities. All too often, they prioritize reckless consumption over responsible conservation, sacrifice long-term ecological needs for short-term economic gain, and ignore the values of Washington’s citizens in order to pander to the demands of special interests.

We must demand better.

why reform?

About Washington Wildlife First

We are a small, grassroots organization founded in 2021 by a small group of wildlife advocates who for years  had been watching the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife prioritize the demands of select special interest groups over the needs of wildlife. Learn more about our small organization trying to make big changes in Washington’s wildlife management.

Reforming State Fish & Wildlife

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is supposed to manage wildlife in trust for all current and future Washingtonians. Instead, all too often, Department management ignores science, promotes unethical hunting, and continues practices that are out of step with Washington values. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What do we mean by “wildlife first?”

Are we opposed to hunting?

Do we want everybody to be riding bicycles, living in bamboo huts, and eating granola?

Find out the answers to these questions, and more. 

Washington Wildlife First

Washington Wildlife First is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife from a model of consumption to an ethic of conservation.

We hold the Department accountable to the law and to people they are bound to serve; reverse their attempts to ignore facts, devalue science, and sideline their scientists; and insist that they value the future of our wildlife over the whims of political expediency.

Washington’s wildlife belongs to us all.

Stand with us as we stand with wildlife, and demand that our state officials do the same.

Learn More About Us >