Saving Washington's Wolves

Friday I took the day off to give testimony at the Washington Wildlife Commission hearing. Part of the agenda was an update on Washington's wolf packs and in addition, what happened with the decision to kill the Wedge pack in northeastern Washington. I have been very upset by the turn of events for our wolves so i felt the need to drive to Olympia and speak my truth. You can see the testimony of folks at www.tvw.org. Search for October 5th in the Columbia room. My testimony was around 5pm so you have to skim through to get to it. The ranchers and most of the Cattlemen's association folks were after me. The Farm bureau folks were before me. Mixed in were  the pro-wolf folks. I only had 3 minutes so i was unable to give the last 2 paragraphs of my testimony. I have included it here. It's Aldo Leopold's quote and the next paragraph.  yes, i choked up in the beginning and I'm proud of it. Even one of the commissioners did when he was talking about the decision to kill the pack. Here's my testimony-

Terri Wentworth-Davis

October 5, 2012

Washington Wildlife Commission Meeting      

Wedge Pack Wolf and Wolf Management Plan Comments

 

I am here representing myself and all of the friends, family, and co-workers who thanked me for taking the day off to come here. I also speak for the wolves as they can not speak for themselves. 

As a lifelong rural resident of Washington, I have watched many changes occur in the state- both good and bad- depending on your perspective. One of the most exciting is knowing wolves have returned to one of their home ranges in North America. Once again Washington is wild.

I have spent many weekends camping in the Twisp area hoping to hear from the former Lookout Pack; happy just knowing I was in their territory. I travel regularly to Yellowstone national park to observe and listen to the wolves. Now I have the chance to see or hear them much closer to home.

I am greatly saddened and angered by the recent turn of events- killing the Wedge Pack of wolves. First we lose a pack to selfish and uncaring poachers and now another to livestock interests who appear to believe that wolves are not part of the landscape. This is a belief from the 1800s and 1900s when Americans spent decades exterminating wolves and other predators mostly for the livestock industry. Maybe it’s time to enter the 21^st Century when we accept that wolves and other large predators have returned, were here long before us, and will be here long after us. Time to recognize we must learn to coexist with them.

Wolves are animals with complex social structures not unlike our own. Reports have said there were 8-11 wolves in the Wedge Pack. Tell me, if WDFW killed 6, where are the rest? What will become of them? Were they this year’s pups left to die of starvation?

I am asking that the wolf management plan be followed. Chapter 4 and Chapter 12 Task 4 have all the steps clearly defined for how to work with the wolves. This travesty may have been avoided if there were enforceable standards for what steps ranchers are required to take before a wolf is killed. Killing our wolves on our public lands because one individual, or even many, wishes them dead is unacceptable. It’s public- the wildlife and the land. I feel as if the public has been betrayed since the steps for modified husbandry and non-lethal deterrents are listed yet it seems as if all of the steps were not taken leading to killing the pack. Of course, how could that be avoided since they became habituated to killing the calves? Maybe, going back to the plan and incorporating and enforcing the listed steps would have prevented this; and taking a closer look at retiring grazing allotments in wolf territory.

I would like to end with a quote from a man who extinguished the green fire of a wolf’s eyes never to kill another wolf again-

“Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Aldo Leopold

There should be no “next time” for removing an entire pack of wolves. The stability and integrity of their presence and beauty must be preserved even if we all must pay a little more to help a willing rancher or another who suffers a loss.

Thank you.