So, I'm not going to say that wolves are a problem here in Washington, but they are a concern, and increasingly an issue. Part of the reason for that is while wolves are becoming quite established in the Eastern part of the state, they haven't really made the jump over the Cascades yet...but the states Wolf Managment plan requires wolves be treated as endangered until they are established in all eight of the states regions...and let me tell you, it's going to be a while before wolves naturally end up in the Olympic Mountains or San Juan Islands.
It leads to the same kind of problems you see with wolves on a national level...the folks in the big cities who get to see wolves on TV think they are cute and need to be protected from the hill-billy redneck farmers, who just need to learn to get along with Nature.
In an effort to share the love, Washington State Representative Joel Kretz, of Wauconda(north central part of the state...kind of Wolf Central), has introduced a bill that would allow the Fish and Wildlife Department to 'tranlocate' wolves that trapped from the East side of the State to the West side. Currently, when wolves are trapped, they are tagged and relesed in the same area.
“If wolves are so wonderful, I don’t think we should be hoarding them in my district,” he said.
Frickin SWEET. That is some snark I can get behind...as is this:
The entire state would “enjoy the re-establishment of this majestic species,” the bill says.
Strangely, when Representative Kretz asked for co-sponsors of his bill from the West Side of the state, he got no takers.
Now...even Mr. Kretz himself doesn't expect his bill to go forward, but he hopes it paints a picture and builds support for another bill he plans to introduce which would allow Eastern/Western Washington wolves to be treated differently, removing wolves from the endangered list in Eastern Washington.
Even though he's not my representative, I still think I might sit down and write a quick letter to Rep. Kretz, congratulating him on his exceptional wit.
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