The digest is a roundup of news concerning fish and wildlife management in Washington and beyond.

Top Updates

• Govenor Jay Inslee ordered the Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission to begin rulemaking on livestock-wolf conflict.

Read in more detail below.

Recap: Wolf Advisory Group Meeting of January 9-10, 2024

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wolf Advisory Group (WAG) met over Zoom (agenda here) mainly to discuss laws and rules on compensation for wolf predation and how to address the “lethal removal” of wolf packs that live on the border of Oregon and Washington. A work group spearheaded by ranchers revived the debate from last November about whether WDFW should count predations on cattle in Oregon toward the “lethal removal” threshold in Washington. However, the WAG once again did not reach sufficient consensus to move forward with this proposal.

WDFW scientists also gave updates on the Gray Wolf Periodic Status Review (PSR) timeline.They said WDFW expects to submit the revised PSR for public comment around February 7, 2024, for a Commission vote during the April 18-20, 2024 meeting.

A WAG member asked about the status of wolves in South Cascades/Coastal recovery area, where no breeding pairs have been documented to date. In the last annual wolf report, the Department recognized a male and female wolf as the “Big Muddy” pack in Klickitat County within this region. However, WDFW statewide wolf specialist Ben Maletzke said that WDFW is now only observing a single wolf on its cameras, raising doubts about whether the Big Muddy pack still exists. He said that more information would be forthcoming in the Annual Wolf Report in April.

Rick Perleberg, a WAG member and teacher at an agricultural high school, asked the WAG for permission to bring his debate class to discuss the question “Will the North American Model [of Wildlife Conservation] Continue to Work in Spite of the WDFW Commission?” When WAG member Dan Paul of the Humane Society of the United States questioned whether the topic itself was biased, Perleberg insisted that the topic was “much more benign” than the title suggested.

The WAG has not yet voted on whether to let the class give their presentation.

Washington Fish & Wildlife

State Wildlife Reform

Bill to Add Hunting, Fishing to WA Constitution Heard, Plus Other Oly Legislation To Watch. Andy Walgamott, Northwest Sportsman. January 22, 204.

• Walgamott reports on the legislative hearing on SJR 8208, which proposes an amendment to the Washington Constitution to protect the “right” to hunt, fish and trap. The article quotes extensively from public testimony on the amendment, including testimony by Hannah Thompson-Garner of Northwest Animal Rights Network, Dan Paul of the Humane Society of the United States, and Claire Loebs Davis of Washington Wildlife First. It also quotes David Linn, a board member of Washington Wildlife First, and accuses him of “playing the fear card” by talking about how the amendment would impact conservation efforts.
• Walgamott noted that people testifying against the bill “said over and over that fishing and hunting aren’t under threat,” continuing “but don’t tell Brian Barcus of Clark County that. He noted that in his lifetime he’d lost the right to use bait for bears, run hounds for cougars and use body-gripping traps ‘due to emotions instead of facts.’”
• Read prior coverage from the Northwest Sportsmen when SJR 8208 was filed, which notes that it was filed against the “backdrop” of the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s consideration of a “controversial new” conservation policy. It quotes at length a letter from former Commission Kim Thorburn—known for her attacks on other commissioners, Department biologists, and members of the public—who ironically claimed that the policy was part of “an agenda to exclude and divide.”

Wolves

Inslee orders new wolf removal rules in Washington, Michael Wright, Jan. 15, 2024, The Spokesman Review.

• This article covers of Governor Jay Inslee’s order granting the appeal brought by several wildlife advocacy groups and ordering the Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft rules for managing wolf-livestock conflicts. It calls this decision a “victory for wildlife groups,” and quotes from a statement by Washington Wildlife First.
• The story was also picked up by The Seattle Times and other papers around the state.
• Review the press release from petitioner Washington Wildlife First.
• Review the press release from petitioner Center for Biological Diversity.
• The Cascadia Daily News  and the Methow Valley News also covered the story, quoting from statements issued by WDFW, Washington Wildlife First, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
• The conservative Washington Policy Center accuses Governor Inslee of “caving to activists” in an article that erroneously states that WDFW killed only two wolves in 2022 (it was actually six), and which does not describe the substance of the petition.
• The Center Square focuses on the reaction of State Senator Shelly Short, who claims, “I worry about the safety of our ranchers and families.”
• Coverage in the Capital Press quoted statements released by Washington Wildlife First and the Center for Biological Diversity and focused on the reaction of ranchers to the attempt to close the “caught in the act” loophole.  
• The Northwest Sportsman chides Governor Inslee for “butting into Washington predator management yet again,” and quotes Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest, saying that he is “disappointed in Governor Inslee’s action today, caving-in to pressure that could re-polarize Washington’s successful wolf recovery.”

Washington state leaders try to find solutions for wolf depredations and killing of wolves. Courtney Flatt, Oregon Public Broadcasting. January 20, 2024.

• The first half of this article focuses on the hearing over SB 5939, which would allow ranchers and their associates to kill the first wolf the returned the site of a cattle predation. It quotes several people who testified about the bill, including Dan Paul from HSUS, Paula Swedeen of Conservation Northwest, and two cattle producers.
• The second half of the story covers Gov. Inslee’s decision to order the Fish and Wildlife Commission to engage in rulemaking, extensive quoting Claire Loebs Davis of Washington Wildlife First, including her description of how WDFW managers have frequently ignored the provisions of the protocol, including when they decided to kill the OPT wolf pack in 2019.

Washington bill proposes shooting first wolf back to carcass. Don Jenkins, The Capital Press. January 3, 2024.

• Washington State representatives Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro Woolley) and Kevin Van Der Wege (D-Sequim) have prefiled a bill, SB 5939, that would allow ranchers to shoot the first wolf to return to the site of a livestock predation. The article quotes the response of Tim Coleman of Kettle Range Conservation Group: “I don’t think this is the way to do it…Ranchers are not supposed to leave dead animals out so they can become an attractant.”

Monthly Wolf Report- December 2023. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. January 4, 2024.

• Among other news, WDFW reports that an uncollared wolf was found dead in December. It did not provide further detail on how and where the wolf died.

Cougars & Bears

WA Fish and Wildlife to initiate bear, cougar rule changes. Flora Gibson, Columbia Gorge News. January 17, 2024.

• Reports on the 7-2 vote by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in favor of the rulemaking petition seeking amendments to bear and cougar hunting rules, including discussion of the letter from 50 independent scientists supporting the science in the petition.

Commercial timber owners in Washington will be able to apply for black bear damage permits. Courtney Platt, Northwest Public Broadcasting. December 28, 2023.

• Platt reports that commercial timber owners will be able to allow black bear hunting on their lands, “if they prove a bear damages [sic] their trees.” The article quotes Commissioner Lorna Smith, one of the three dissenters in the vote to allow this hunt: “It seems to me this is more of a social solution than actually knowing if it works.”

Fish & Marine Mammals

Alaska Chinook in Peril, A Plea for Protection under the Endangered Species Act (press release).  Wild Fish Conservancy Press Release. January 10, 2024.

• On January 10, Wild Fish Conservancy filed a petition calling for federal protection of Alaskan Chinook (also known as king salmon), under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This emergency action is being taken in response to the severe decline and poor condition of Chinook populations throughout the state of Alaska. The proposed safeguards would increase protection for imperiled Chinook populations from the Canadian border north to the Aleutian Islands, including watersheds of Southeast, Cook Inlet, and Southcentral Alaska.
• Read more coverage in Hatch.
• National Fisherman also has a story from the point of view of commercial fishers.

Petition Calls For Closing OlyPen Winter Steelhead Fishing Thru Mid-Feb. Andy Walgamott, Northwest Sportsman. January 3, 2024.

• Walgamott reports on The Conservation Angler (TCA)’s petition to close winter steelhead fishing in the Olympic Peninsula through February 15 in order to protect wild populations from sublethal effects of catch-and-release. Walgamott also brings up Wild Fish Conservancy and TCA’s petition to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the Endangered Species Act. NMFS initially found that the petition presented information that the listing may be warranted.

‘They’re our relatives.’ Samish Indian Nation prepares to welcome new orca calf to Puget Sound. Gustavo Sagrero Alvarez, KUOW. January 3, 2024.

• Coast Salish tribes such as the Samish Indian Nation are preparing for a potlatch ceremony to name the male Southern Resident killer whale calf known as J60 with an official name. The ceremony will take place if the calf, first observed in late December 2023, survives for a year.
• West Seattle Blog reports that the calf is a male.
• The national environmental news outlet EcoWatch has more details about the new calf.
• J60 has even made international news, with the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail delighting in the “gorgeous baby orca.”

It’s getting quieter in Puget Sound and easier for orcas to find dinner. Natalie Akane Newcomb, KUOW. December 27, 2023.

• Orca conservation groups are saying that voluntary slowing of boat traffic in parts of Puget Sound is already improving conditions for Southern Resident killer whales.

An Open Letter to our Representatives, Present and Near Future (guest column). Alison Langley, PhD, The Islands’ Sounder. January 4, 2024.

• The author urges lawmakers to support the breaching of Lower Snake River dams, writing, “Although hydropower has been touted as ‘green’, the slackwater reservoirs behind these dams not only impair fish migration with their slow, solar heated current, they in fact emit significant amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. With fewer salmon to fertilize forests, the trees sequester less carbon. Fish-killing dams are not ‘green’, and their maintenance currently costs far more than they are worth.”

Other Wildlife

Washington wolverines up for protected status change amid climate threats. Isaac Stone Simonelli, Cascadia Daily News. January 3, 2024.

• WDFW is asking for information from the public on the state’s wolverines. Wolverines are now federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) but are not yet listed under the state ESA.

Tacomans dubbed this disfigured but hardy coyote ‘Jawless Jerry’. Scott Greenstone, KNKX. January 2, 2024.

• Some Tacomans have “fallen in love” with a coyote who is missing her top jaw. An artist from Grit City Magazine has designed merchandise featuring “Jawless Jerry’s” image, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting wildlife rehabilitation centers.
• The News Tribune published an op-ed by hunter Jordan Rash calling to “keep nature wild” and let wild animals live – including Jawless Jerry.

Top National & International Fish & Wildlife Stories

General Wildlife Management

A Proclamation on the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, 2023. The White House. December 27, 2023.

• On the 50^th anniversary of passage of the Endangered Species Act, President Biden reaffirms his commitment to “to restoring the full power and promise of the Endangered Species Act and conserving our Nation’s lands and waters” and highlights his administration’s actions to conserve biodiversity.

Two Stoneflies Lead the Way for Conserving Other Uncharismatic Species. Haily Smalley, Sierra. December 28, 2023.

• This article in the Sierra Club’s magazine highlights the 2019 listing of two stonefly species under the Endangered Species Act. While these stoneflies may be doomed, many scientists are “hopeful the species’ recent protection under the law could still set a precedent for safeguarding insects worldwide.” WildEarth Guardians, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for the two species’ listing.

An Open Letter to Parties to the UNFCCC, the IPCC, and Multilateral Agencies: Protecting and restoring wildlife populations is one of our best nature-based solutions to combat climate change. Rewilding: The Global Alliance, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Blue Marine Foundation, Wilderness Foundation, and Union of Nature Foundation. (No date).

• This open letter highlights the importance of wildlife conservation in mitigating global climate change.

Could 2024 be the year nature rights enter the political mainstream? Jonathan Watts, The Guardian. January 1, 2024.

• Watts describes the experimental, “bold tactics” of two organizations, More Than Human Rights and Animals in the Room, which “represent a new wave of nature and animal rights movements gaining traction amid frustration over humanity’s ultra-exploitative relationship with other species and growing concern about the shortcomings of the technology-and-markets approach to the climate crisis.”

Wolves

The surprise release of wolves near my ranching town has eroded ranchers’ trust (opinion). Skylar Fisher, The Denver Post. December 31, 2023.

• A Colorado rancher expresses anxiety and his feelings of being “blindsided” over the release of the first five wolves not far from his ranch.

• AgInfo includes a brief description of the opposition to the Colorado wolf reintroduction in its “Agribusiness Roundup,” which claims that “Several tourism directors…point out it’s another predator to watch out for with children and small animals.”

Wolves win against farmers as Swiss cull put on hold. Imogen Foulkes, BBC News (via MSN). December 31, 2023.

• Swiss courts have partially suspended a “cull” of wolves after an environmental organization challenged the Swiss government’s approval of measures that would have allowed the eradication of whole packs. The government is appealing the suspension.

Other Wildlife

How the “No Kill” Movement Betrays Its Name. Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker. December 25, 2023. (If you encounter a paywall, access the article here.)

• Franzen describes the population explosion of feral cats in Los Angeles and profiles some of the volunteers and nonprofit workers attempting to stem the growth through trap-neuter-return (T.N.R.) efforts. The article questions whether T.N.R. really works to stop population growth, as well as whether “no-kill” shelters are really more humane than shelters that allow killing.

Other Washington Fish & Wildlife News

General Wildlife Management

Hunting incident determined tragic accident. The Islands’ Sounder. December 27, 2023.

2023: The year outdoors. Michael Wright, The Spokesman-Review. December 29, 2023.

Chapman Lake land swap finalized. Michael Wright, The Spokesman-Review. January 3, 2024.

State of Washington Acquires More Than 1,700 Acres in 2023 for Conservation Efforts. Big Country News. December 27, 2023.

Fish & Marine Mammals

$40 million available for streamflow restoration projects (news release). Washington Department of Ecology. January 2, 2024.

Invasive European green crabs threaten Northwest shellfish industries. Jule Gilfillan, Oregon Public Broadcasting. January 4, 2024.

Razor clam digs remain tentative for January. George Kunke, Willapa Harbor Herald. January 3, 2024.

Bonneville, The Dalles Keeper Sturgeon Fishery To Close. Andy Walgamott, Northwest Sportsman. January 3, 2024.

WDFW invites public comment on proposal to open Stevens County’s Deer Lake to year-round fishing (press release). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. January 4, 2024.

Lessons from the orca (op-ed). Mario A. Montalvo, Edmonds Beacon. January 4, 2024.

Other National & International Fish & Wildlife News

State Wildlife Reform

Nonprofits Still Have Time to Apply for Special Big Game Permits. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. December 28, 2023.

10 biggest environmental stories of 2023. Chuck Thompson, Columbia Insight. December 26, 2023.

Vermont has new trapping & coyote hunting rules. But some lawmakers want to change how they’re made. Abagael Giles, Vermont Public. January 3, 2024.

General Wildlife Management

As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy. Travis Loller, AP News. December 27, 2023.

A Leopolian [sic] ethic (opinion). Joseph Morin, Montana Standard. January 2, 2024.

Fish, Shellfish & Marine Mammals

The Year of the Orca. Rachel Riederer, The New Yorker. December 28, 2023. (If you cannot access the article, click here.)

‘Prolific’ killer whale matriarch Wake presumed dead after nearly a year without a sighting. CBC. January 3, 2024.

Bears

The Coming War on Grizzly Bears (op-ed). Doug Peacock, Alta. December 21, 2023.

On the Lighter Side

Amazing drone footage of humpback whale in Washington (YouTube video). KOMO News. January 3, 2024.