Washington’s cougars need your help once again. Last month, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission failed to move forward on a rule to curb the exploitation of Washington’s cougars. Now it is down to the wire, and the Commission has one last chance to advance the rule at its April 19-20 meeting, before it is too late to finish the rulemaking process in time for the start of next fall’s season. We need you to sign up today to speak on behalf of Washington’s cougars on April 19, to write to the Commission by April 18, and to consider donating to support this ongoing battle.
The Commission has everything it needs to approve content for the proposed new rule. We gave it all the facts it needed in a detailed 73-page rulemaking petition last fall, which was supported by a letter signed by 50 scientists from across the nation. Our petition was founded on the science produced by decades of work by biologists from the Washington Department of Wildlife, and even the Department’s game division leader was forced to admit that he agreed with most of what we had to say.
At last month’s meeting, Department biologists confirmed the accuracy of the science described in our petition, which has been used to set limits on cougar hunting below the 12-16% population growth rate in each state management unit. Decades of research shows that when cougar mortality exceeds this rate, it exponentially increases the risk to the health and stability of the cougar population—and foremost cougar experts warn that it may make cougar-human conflicts more likely.
Despite this scientific consensus, the Commission and Department have sat by and done nothing for years, as cougar mortality has soared beyond safe and sustainable levels in many areas of the state. Over the past three years, hunters and management authorities have killed over a third of the estimated cougar population in the management units that include Stevens and Klickitat counties—with mortality in some areas near 50%.
The Commission has agreed this must stop, voting by a margin of 7 to 2 last December to accept our petition and go into rulemaking. But now commissioners seem to have gotten cold feet, as Department managers urge them to sit on their hands and allow at least one more year of overhunting, and out-of-state hunting groups flood their email boxes with demands to kill more cougars than the population can sustain.
The Commission needs to hear that the people of Washington care about our cougars, and that we demand that they fulfill their mandate to “preserve, protect, and perpetuate” the state’s wildlife.
Write.
Email the Commission directly at commission@dfw.wa.gov to pass new cougar and bear rules before the next season. Your message does not need to be long—just a couple sentences will do. Feel free to draw on our talking points, but focus on what is important to you.
You can also use our form to send your comments to the Commission. We have provided some language, but please customize your message. Comments are much more effective when written from your individual perspective.
No matter which method you choose, please remember to (1) tell Commissioners where you are from, so they know they are hearing from a Washington resident; and (2) be polite and respectful.
Write a comment nowShare.
We know Washingtonians care about our wildlife, but few of them are aware of the urgent issues that need their attention—such as the threat to our state cougar population. We need more people to raise their voices with the Commission. Please help spread the word by forwarding this email to family, friends, and connections who care about wildlife.
You can also engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Donate.
Asking for money is hard. But our campaign for Washington’s cougars has been lengthy and expensive—and it is far from over. We are a tiny, state-based, grassroots organization, attempting to stand up to well-funded national machines like the National Rifle Association and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. Please donate today to help us continue our advocacy for cougars, bears, wolves, and all of Washington’s wild species.
DONATE