State issues kill order for Columbia wolf pack
Fish and Wildlife order also allows ranchers in affected area to kill wolves found on private lands
Washington Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind authorized Monday the killing of as many as two members of the Columbia wolfpack in an effort to stop repeated attacks on cattle.
The pack that roams the foothills and benches of the northwest slope of the Blue Mountains near Patit Creek in Columbia County has been involved in six confirmed and six probable attacks on livestock in the past 10 months, according to the department.
In October, Susewind considered but declined to approve using lethal force as a deterrent to attacks on cattle. Since that time, the pack has been implicated in two additional attacks — the injury of five calves in November and the killing of a calf late last month.
Susewind’s order includes a permit allowing ranchers there to kill wolves found on private lands. According to the news release, the purpose of the order is to change the pack’s behavior.
Wolves in all of Washington are protected by the Washington Endangered Species Act. Wolves in the western two-thirds of the state are also protected by the federal ESA. Wolves in the eastern one-third of the state are not protected by the federal government.
