Gray wolf populations in Washington state have been steadily increasing since their return to the state in 2007 and have reached the population level considered “recovered” by the state’s recovery plan. But activist groups want you to know that 44 gray wolves have been lethally removed during that same period. They claim something must be done to make lethal removals more difficult. 

Specifically, 11 activist groups are calling for “clarification” of the number of depredations that must happen before lethal removal is triggered, what non-lethal methods must be used, the number of “caught in the act” killings a rancher may employ, eliminating lethal removals on public land, and the creation of a mitigation plan in areas where repeated depredations have been recorded.

Activists used to cast ranchers as the villains in their stories about why gray wolves were misunderstood and should be allowed to roam our state unharmed. Now they blame Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife staff, responsible for determining when a gray wolf should be lethally removed. 

A recent news story quoted one activist describing agency staff as erratic, saying, “There’s no predictability at this point when the department will decide to kill wolves. There’s no transparency into the process.”

The trouble with those sorts of claims is they aren’t true. Nor is there a need for the clarification of the process for lethal removals, which has been discussed for many years by the state’s Wolf Advisory Group. Fish & Wildlife staff are clear the protocol leaves room to interpretation to make sure they make the right decision.

Julia Smith, the gray wolf policy lead for Fish & Wildlife, is quoted in the same story saying, “It’s impossible to predict all of the variables in each situation. Our current process allows a lot of thoughtfulness.”

And despite the objections, while that process has been in place, there has been a 71 percent increase in the state’s wolf population in just the last five years.

Lethal removal of gray wolves in our state is a last resort for agency staff and one that requires several depredations, multiple evaluations, and a lengthy decision process. Before any gray wolf is eligible for lethal removal, according to the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, ranchers must be proactive in changing their livestock management methods and use of non-lethal deterrents including the use of fladry, modified animal care, range riders, and other agency approved deterrents.

Additionally, after a depredation is discovered, Fish & Wildlife investigators must confirm the depredation was caused by a gray wolf. Once a depredation has been confirmed, investigators must then try to determine which pack is likely responsible for the killing. Lethal removal of pack members is not authorized until there have been at least three confirmed depredations in a 30-day period or four depredation events within a 10-month period.

The most recent population report notes a removal of six wolves in 2022 for livestock depredations and a minimum of 216 total gray wolves in our state. The population may be higher because wolves can be difficult to count, and the Colville Tribes don’t certify their count because they consider the gray wolf recovered on reservation lands.

Rather than calling for changes to a gray wolf recovery plan that is demonstrably working, wildlife activists would do their cause a favor by simply sitting back and letting nature take its course. Fish & Wildlife staff have, in recent years, been able to find the delicate balance between working with ranchers and continuing to positively increase the population of gray wolves. Activists should leave agency staff to the good work they are doing.