The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission (WFWC) has rejected a petition filed by a coalition of environmental groups to protect wolves.
The petition was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Cascadia Wildlands, Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians.
The groups requested mandatory measures be put in place to limit killing wolves for livestock conflicts. Measures would require producers to use non-lethal deterrence methods to prevent conflict with livestock.
The groups now plan to take the petition to Gov. Jay Inslee (D) to appeal the decision. If the governor overrules the commission’s decision, a comment period would be opened to seek public input for a rulemaking.
