Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
HB 1442
Brief Description: Providing flexibility for the department of fish and wildlife to collaborate with local governments to manage gray wolves.
Sponsors: Representatives Abell, Springer, Dent, Schmidt, Eslick and Engell.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to manage gray wolves in certain areas as if the species has been removed from state designation as endangered when certain population criteria have been met.
  • Requires the WDFW to convene a workgroup to develop, and complete within six months, a regional management plan in areas where the population criteria have been met.
Hearing Date: 2/5/25
Staff: Rebecca Lewis (786-7339).
Background:

Gray Wolf Management.

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Federal and State Endangered Status.

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Both the state and federal government maintain designations for the gray wolf in Washington as endangered or protected. ?Federal law lists the gray wolf as an endangered species for the portion of the state located west of highways 97, 17, and 395 that run through Central Washington. ?The State Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) has authority to classify endangered and threatened species in Washington by rule, and has classified the gray wolf as an endangered species statewide. ?A wildlife species may be removed from state listing when, based on the preponderance of scientific data available, its populations either: ?(1) are no longer in danger of failing, declining, or are vulnerable due to certain factors including limited numbers, disease, predation, exploitation, or habitat loss or change; or (2) meet target population objectives set out in a Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) developed and Commission adopted recovery plan.

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State Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

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The Commission adopted the Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (Conservation and Management Plan) in December 2011, which identifies target population objectives, management tools, reclassification criteria, an implementation plan, and a species monitoring plan. ?The Conservation and Management Plan identifies three wolf recovery regions:? (1) the Eastern Washington region; (2) the North Cascades region; and (3) the Southern Cascades and Northwest Coast region. ?The recovery objectives identified in the Conservation and Management Plan to allow the gray wolf to be removed from the state's endangered species list are based on target numbers and species distribution.

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The Conservation and Management Plan establishes the following criteria for wolves to be considered for state delisting:

  • Fifteen successful breeding pairs documented by the WDFW for three consecutive years, distributed so that each recovery region contains at least four breeding pairs; or
  • Eighteen successful breeding pairs documented by the WDFW, distributed so that each recovery region contains at least four breeding pairs.
Summary of Bill:

Gray Wolf Management.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) must manage gray wolves within any county where gray wolves are not designated under the federal Endangered Species Act in the county or a portion of the county as if they have been removed from listing as a state endangered species and the following two criteria are met: ?(1) there are at least three documented breeding pairs in the county or in the portion of the county; and (2) the recovery objective of 15 breeding pairs over three years has been met statewide.
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Once the criteria have been met, the legislative body of the county must provide notice to both the Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) and the Director of the WDFW (Director) that the gray wolf no longer meets the criteria for state designation as endangered in that location. ?Upon receiving this notice, the Director must evaluate and determine whether the criteria have been met and convene a work group with a third-party neutral facilitator to develop a management plan in the location. ?Within six months of the notice, the Director must notify the Commission that a management plan has been completed and will be implemented.

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Work Group Members.

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The work group must include representatives of county cattlepersons organizations, county governments, a conservation nonprofit, and a regional nonprofit organization that operates range riding and other year-round wolf and livestock conflict avoidance tactics in Northeast Washington. ?The WDFW must invite affected tribes to participate and give affected tribes the opportunity to review drafts of the plan before it is completed. ?The WDFW must complete and implement the plan within six months and may revise the plan periodically as conditions change.? If the work group does not reach agreement on the plan within six months, a minority report must be included.

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Management Plan Components.

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At a minimum, the management plan must address:

  • increased cooperation with input from county governments, cattlepersons associations, and local organizations providing range riding and other conflict deterrence efforts with respect to the methods and approaches to minimizing impacts to livestock production;
  • minimizing livestock loss and economically costly stress on livestock and minimizing the need for lethal control of wolves;
  • improved responsiveness from the department on planning proactive deterrence for ranchers;
  • faster response time from the department when lethal control is required;
  • habitat improvement for ungulate populations;
  • an improved livestock loss and damage compensation program; and
  • maintaining recovery objectives and an overall stable wolf population in the region.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.