Washington Fish and Wildlife News Digest: March 26-April 2, 2024

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

Washington Fish & Wildlife News

Wolves

Inslee inks final Kretz bill on tribal cooperation. Jefferson Robbins, NCW Life. March 27, 2024.

• Governor Inslee has signed House Bill 2424, retiring Representative Joel Kretz’s bill to require cooperation between WDFW and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) in the ceded lands north of the reservation. This article does not mention earlier versions of the bill, which would have authorized wolf hunting in this area.
• The agriculture newspaper The Capital Press has more on the story, highlighting Inslee’s statement praising Kretz. According to this article, Kretz criticized the addition of a requirement for the Fish and Wildlife Commission to approve an engagement plan between the CTCR and WDFW, calling it “stupid and unnecessary.”
• Conservation Northwest writes about the legislation, “Where policy is set by the state, we expect transparency in objectives and in the research data that informs management decisions… The bill’s sponsor asserted there is a relationship between Tribal wolf management and ungulate populations and livestock conflict. We think these relationships are complex and require years of research to establish in any particular setting.”

Cougars & Bears

It’s official: Feds want grizzlies back in the Cascades. K.C. Mehaffey, Columbia Insight. March 25, 2024.

• Mehaffey reports on the Environmental Impact Statement on grizzly bear introduction, which the National Park Service and FWS released last Monday. The agencies’ preferred alternative is to designate the grizzlies as a “nonessential” population, which will enable the killing or relocation of bears involved in conflict.

Grizzly reintroduction: Apex predator myth (letter to the editor). Mike Stadnisky, The Seattle Times. March 30, 2024.

• In response to a Seattle Times article on grizzly reintroduction, this writer brings up the recent study refuting the theory that the reintroduction of wolves quickly restored the riparian ecosystem in Yellowstone. He implies that the prospect of reintroducing grizzlies is “anti-science” and takes a potshot at the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission (which is not directly involved in the federal proposal to reintroduce grizzlies). [Editor’s note: The authors of the study this writer cites specify that ecosystem benefits from wolves may take longer to emerge. They assert that “it is clear that maintaining the ecosystem services of large carnivores by preventing their extirpation may be a more successful strategy than trying to restore those services after a long absence of apex predators from the food web.”]
• Fox News repeats claims from a livestock producer that grizzly reintroduction will pose “real danger.”
• An editorial by the board of the Everett paper The Herald, on the other hand, welcomes the prospect of grizzlies returning to the North Cascades.

Cougar sighting has Newcastle residents on alert. Frankie Katafias, KIRO Seattle. March 26, 2024.

• A cougar sighting near Cougar Mountain spooked some local residents.

Fish & Marine Mammals

Southern resident orcas could be named its own species (video). KGW News. March 28, 2024.

• This brief video reports that based on new research, taxonomists may recognize the Bigg’s or “transient” killer whale ecotype as a separate species from the “resident” ecotype. The video includes an interview with David Bain of Orca Conservancy.
• Read the study that led to the proposed new designations.
• The Seattle Times reports on the proposed changes, the differences between the two ecotypes/species, and some of the history behind killer whale taxonomy.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has more on the new research and notes that the Taxonomy Committee of the Society of Marine Mammalogy will probably vote whether to approve the new designations this summer.

Washington Agencies and Kalispel Tribe Launch Restoration Effort in Sullivan Lake. Brian Cook, Hoodline. March 28, 2024.

• WDFW, FWS, and the Kalispel Tribe Natural Resources Department are proposing to reintroduce bull trout into waters in Pend Oreille County. Bull trout are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act and are a candidate for the state Endangered Species Act. Read WDFW’s press release here.

New count of gray whales along West Coast suggests rebound. Amanda Zhou, The Seattle Times. April 1, 2024.

• The “unusual mortality event” affecting West Coast gray whales appears to be over, and gray whale populations have grown this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

Environmentalists say Trans Mountain Pipeline will increase tanker traffic in Salish Sea by 700%. Curtis Blandy, Victoria Buzz. March 25, 2024.

• Environmental advocates are warning that Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline will vastly increase oil tanker traffic and underwater noise in Southern Resident killer whale habitat.

Other Wildlife

Why would anyone want to shoot half a million barred owls? Merritt Clifton, The Spokesman-Review. March 27, 2024.

• Seventy-five organizations, led by Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy, have signed a letter to Secretary of the Interior Deborah Haaland criticizing its proposal to kill up to 500,000 barred owls in order to protect the spotted owl, which is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and endangered under the Washington ESA. This long article discusses both the political factors at play in the proposal to kill barred owls and the arguments in the letter opposing the culling (we should not scapegoat a native species for human-caused habitat destruction and climate change; the program is not likely to be effective; hunting and lead shot will imperil other birds of prey).
• Read the joint press release on the Center for a Humane Economy or Animal Wellness Action.

The island’s coyotes are friends, not foes (opinion). Susan McCabe, The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. March 27, 2024.

• In an interview with the author, Brooks Fahy of Predator Defense defends coyotes on Vashon Island, pointing out that there is no evidence coyotes are eating large numbers of domestic cats, that cat owners should protect their pets by building catios, that coyotes are important to the ecosystem and help regulate rodent populations, and that killing coyotes does not “control” their numbers.

Radicalizing Compassion for Coyotes to Create a Just Future for ALL Wildlife. Christopher Lile, Project Coyote. March 28, 2024.

• Project Coyote Operations & Communications Director Lile discusses compassion for individual animals, the bias against compassion in state wildlife management, and the “shocking” lack of protection for coyotes.

Washington Teams Up With Tulalip Tribes on Innovative Drone Pilot to Monitor Bighorn Sheep. Aisha Mahmoud, Hoodline. March 27, 2024.

• The Tulalip Tribes and WDFW will cooperate on a project to use drones to count bighorn sheep, a species of greatest conservation need under the State Wildlife Action Plan.

Inslee vetoes study to keep elk off farms, urges alternative. Don Jenkins, The Capital Press. March 28, 2024.

• Governor Inslee has partially vetoed SB 5784, concerning compensation for deer and elk damage to farms. While Inslee passed the sections of the bill directly related to compensation, he nixed a three-year cooperative study by WDFW and the Yakama Nation on using collars to monitor elk and warn farmers of their approach. According to spokesman Michael Faulk, “the concern was what is appropriate for a government-to-government relationship.” Here is the veto letter.

Man sentenced to 3 years of mental health treatment after displaying dead animals outside home. KING 5. March 28, 2024.

• An Everett man who killed and displayed the corpses of squirrels and birds has been sentenced to three years in community custody for mental health treatment. He had faced the possibility of decades in prison for animal cruelty.

Saving the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. Brian Payton, Hakai Magazine (via The Tyee). February 27, 2024.

• Women sentenced to a correctional facility near Belfair are helping raise endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies.

Cascade critter crossings: How I-90 became safer for wildlife, drivers. Vonnai Phair, The Seattle Times. March 31, 2024.

• Phair reports on the $1 billion project to create wildlife crossings across Interstate 90 in Snoqualmie Pass. As of the end of 2023, the Washington State Department of Transportation had counted over 25,000 wildlife crossings over existing structures.

Notable Fish & Wildlife News from Around the World

State Wildlife Reform

What does the public really think about hunting? Don Molde, The Nevada Current. March 28, 2024.

• The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has found that 70% of the public approves of hunting in the US, but Molde asserts that this oft-cited figure hides the nuances of public attitudes toward different types of hunting. For example, while 70% of people approve of deer hunting, only 42% approve of bear hunting and 37% of cougar hunting. While 74% to 78% approve of hunting to protect humans, for “conservation,” or for meat, only 37% approve of hunting “for the sport,” while only 22% approve of it “for a trophy.” Molde also questions the role of science in setting seasons and regulations.

2024 Webinar: An Introduction to Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson for Wildlife Advocates (video). Wildlife for All. March 22, 2024.

• Guest presenters from FWS discuss Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Act funds and how the rules governing their use affect the state wildlife agencies they help fund.

Standing Up for Coexistence in Colorado (podcast episode). For the Wild. March 18, 2024.

• The International Wildlife Coexistence Network’s podcast interviews Colorado Representative Tammy Story (D-25^th) about the Colorado Wild Carnivore and Livestock Non-Lethal Coexistence Act, a bill she is sponsoring. This bill would require livestock owners to use nonlethal deterrence and properly dispose of carcasses if they are to receive compensation for predation by native carnivores. The bill would also prevent Colorado Parks and Wildlife from issuing permits to kill native carnivores to livestock owners who do not comply with these requirements. On the podcast, Story discusses the legislation and her involvement with the wolf reintroduction process.
• Aspen Journalism has more on this story, including background on last year’s congressional effort to delay wolf reintroduction.

Vermont Tones Down an Animal Rights Overhaul of Its Wildlife Board After Hunter Pushback. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life. March 29, 2024.

• This article summarizes changes in the Vermont Senate to SB 258, which originally would have required the state’s fish and wildlife board to include non-hunters. As revised in the Senate, the bill now only requires “balanced viewpoints.” (No version required an “animal rights” perspective, contrary to the title of the article.) The bill would still convert the board to an advisory board, give legislators the power to appoint two of the 16 board members (the other 14 being appointed by the governor), and ban coyote hunting with dogs and bait.

Parks department skips federal funding for shooting range to avoid additional site scrutiny. Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight. March 30, 2024.

• This article provides an insight into the use of Pittman-Robertson Act federal funds for shooting ranges rather than wildlife conservation. In this case, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks turned down federal funds when FWS required a “more complete historical analysis” of a proposed shooting range site. Federal historic preservation officials have criticized the move as avoiding review, while a state tribal preservationist worries that construction on the shooting range project has already destroyed artifacts important to indigenous people.

General Wildlife Governance & Other Issues

Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump. Associated Press (via Oregon Public Broadcasting). March 28, 2024.

• The Biden administration on Thursday restored provisions of the Endangered Species Act that the Trump administration had eliminated. For example, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will no longer have to create individual plans for species recently listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened while fuller protections are pending. Instead, these newly added species will receive blanket protections. The restored rule also removes the requirement to consider economic impacts of listing species. According to this article, Jamie Rappaport Clark of Defenders of Wildlife “characterized Thursday’s announcement as a ‘marginal win’ that restores essential protections for wildlife, but leaves in place some of the changes made in 2019 under Trump.”

Aruba Embraces the Rights of Nature and a Human Right to a Clean Environment. Katie Surma, Inside Climate News. March 25, 2024.

• Aruba’s Ministry of Nature has proposed a constitutional amendment to recognize both the inherent rights of nature and humans’ right to a “clean, healthy and sustainable environment.” If the bill passes, Aruba will become the second country to recognize the rights of nature, after Ecuador.

Wolves

Ruling shortens Idaho’s wolf trapping season. Eric Barker, Lewiston Tribune (via The Spokesman-Review.) March 27, 2024.

• Coverage continues of the federal ruling banning wolf trapping from March 1 to the end of November on public land and for all but three months on private land in areas of Idaho with established grizzly populations. The Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, and Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment were among the plaintiffs.

Carcass provisioning and intra-guild risk avoidance between two sympatric large carnivores. Kristoffer Nordli et al., Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology. January 30, 2024.

• This Norwegian study found that “wolves facilitated wolverines by providing scavenging opportunities.”

Cougars & Bears

How Many Mountain Lions Are Too Many? (opinion). Terence B. Jeffrey, The Daily Caller. March 28, 2024.

• A contributor to the conservative website opines that “it’s time to start hunting these lions again, before they can hunt down more people.” [Editor’s note: There is no evidence that hunting cougars reduces conflict between them and humans.]

Other Wildlife

In the Arctic, Beavers Are Climate Winners. Should We Let Them Take Over?  Ben Goldfarb, Audubon Magazine. Spring 2024.

• A warming Arctic is benefitting beavers, who are in turn “accelerating” environmental change by damming streams, which thaws permafrost and releases methane. However, the landscape alteration and methane emissions from beavers are minor compared to the effects of human interference, and beavers also have immense benefits for biodiversity. Goldfarb suggests that “rather than agents of Arctic destruction, beavers may be agents of Arctic adaptation.”

Yes, beavers can help stop wildfires. And more places in California are embracing them. Alex Wigglesworth, The Los Angeles Times (via The Seattle Times). March 31, 2024.

• Thanks in part to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s beaver restoration program and tribal efforts, beavers are restoring wetlands in parts of the state. Recent research has shown that beavers can protect forests from wildlife by creating natural firebreaks.

Canada lynx historic range in US likely wider than previously thought. ScienceDaily. April 1, 2024.

• A new study from Washington State University found that there may be more suitable habitat for lynx in the US than previously thought.

On the Lighter Side

BREAKING NEWS: We just launched a new lawsuit… (Twitter post). Center for Biological Diversity. April 1, 2024.