Jan 14, 2026 UPDATE: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee “deferred action” on the bill during its 1/14 public executive session, meaning the bill will not progress to a floor vote at this time. While this likely signals the end of HB 1311 for the session, it technically remains “alive” until the legislative cut-off on February 4, and we will continue monitoring it closely.
When HB 1311 was first proposed last January, its supporters pointed to a steadily increasing wolf population as support for their effort to prematurely downlist wolves from “endangered” to “sensitive” before the population had met the benchmarks set by the state wolf recovery and management plan.
We countered that Washington’s wolf population was small, vulnerable, and in imminent danger of decline due to alarming mortality levels and increasing threats.
Never have we been less happy to be right. Shortly after advocates helped stop HB 1311 from advancing in the 2025 session, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the wolf population had declined in 2024 for the first time since wolves returned to the state nearly 20 years ago, with an alarming 25% drop in breeding pairs.
But we were naïve to assume that the bill’s supporters would realize their mistake and drop efforts to advance the bill. Instead, they are pushing it again, with an immediate vote scheduled at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14 that will decide whether the bill will move out of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
Now, we need your help to defeat HB 1311 once more. Before committee members vote to advance HB 1311, we need to make sure they know the facts: it will hurt our vulnerable and declining wolf population, perhaps eliminating any hope of recovery.
Action Steps to Support Washington’s Wolves:
If your representative sits on the House Agriculture Committee, please contact them by no later than Tuesday to ask them to vote “No” on HB 1311.
Join us in opposing this politically motivated attack on Washington’s wolves, which ignores science and seeks to weaken protections before wolves have met state recovery standards, at a time when the population is small, fragile, and declining. Tell your representative that if approved, HB 1311 would signal the state’s alignment with MAGA’s push to dismantle protections for wolves and other endangered species.
At this point, we are only asking for people who have representatives on the House Agriculture Committee to take action. They need to hear from their constituents why HB 1311 must be rejected. Use our talking points to craft your message and call and/or email your representative if they are one of the following people who sit on the committee:
- Committee Chair Kristine Reeves (D-Dist. 30) – kristine.reeves@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7830
- Ranking Member Tom Dent (R-Dist. 13) – tom.dent@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7932
- Melanie Morgan (D-Dist. 29) – melanie.morgan@leg.wa.gov, 360- 786-7906
- Greg Nance (D-Dist. 23) – greg.nance@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7842
- Adison Richards (D-Dist. 26) – adison.richards@leg.wa.gov,360-786-7964
- Adam Bernbaum (D-Dist. 24) – adam.bernbaum@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7916
- Larry Springer (D-Dist. 45) – larry.springer@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7822
- Andrew Engell (R-Dist. 7) – andrew.engell@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7908
- Stephanie McClintock (R-Dist. 18) – stephanie.mcclintock@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7850
- Ed Orcutt (R-Dist. 20) – ed.orcutt@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7990
- Joe Schmick (R-Dist. 9) – joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov, 360-786-7844
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