Gray wolves will remain an endangered species in Washington for now.
By a 5-4 vote, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission today rejected a request to move the wolves from “endangered” status to “sensitive” or “threatened,” classifications that are less restrictive.
Commission member Lorna Smith from Jefferson County argued the species doesn’t yet meet all of the state guidelines for re-listing. That includes a requirement that breeding pairs live in each of the state’s three designated recovery zones.
“I will be voting against this because I do not believe I’ve been presented with reliable, compelling science that necessitates at this point in time a down listing of gray wolves. To me, again, a lot of information that we’ve been presented I have remaining questions about its reliability," she said.
Commissioner Jim Anderson responded.
“We have very good data and it chagrins me to think that we’re being told by parties that aren’t wolf experts that there’s all these different problems," he said.
Opponents of keeping wolves on the state list argued the population is healthy and strong with 260 animals as of the end of last year. With that in mind, Commissioner Steve Parker from Yakima County urged a compromise that would appeal to people who don’t want large numbers of wolves in the state.
“We’re not talking about compromising the data. We’re not talking about compromising the integrity of our monitoring system and so forth. What we’re talking about is representing all of the diverse and, quite often, opposed interests that we represent as a commission," he said.
Conservation groups such as the Defenders of Wildlife celebrated the decision, saying the state can now continue working to fully grow its wolf population.