State may de-list wolf

OLYMPIA – The Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to downgrade the state listing of wolves from endangered to sensitive when it meets virtually Friday, July 19.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and will be aired on TVW. The wolf discussion is planned for 10:15 a.m.

The discussion on downgrading the state listing stems from a state Department of Fish and Wildlife finding that gray wolves no longer meet the criteria to be considered endangered.

“The anticipated effects of the proposed rule amendments would be minimal,” according to agency rule-making documents.

While some tribes, like the Colville Confederated Tribes, permit wolf hunting on reservations, Revised Code of Washington 77.15.130 says “sensitive” species may not be hunted, taken or harassed.

The decision to down-grade the listing has been sought for years by ranchers. The federal government de-listed wolves here in 2021.

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