Critters’ Defenders Get It Wrong Again

One item on the Nov. 7 ballot will test the memory of Washington voters. It’s called Initiative 713 and it would prohibit using most animal traps.

Whether the citizenry gets caught in this ballot snare could hinge on whether we learned anything from the last time we attempted wildlife management by initiative.

In 1996, a measure to ban hound-hunting cougars and bear baiting was easily approved in the general election.

Subsequently, fewer cougars were killed and their numbers grew. Increasingly, the majestic cats came in contact with humans. Only these weren’t photo opportunities. Cougars killed pets, livestock and, in two instances in the past two years, attacked children.

In the interest of public safety the Legislature revised the law and the state Fish and Wildlife Commission recently authorized taking as many as 74 cougars in hound-aided hunts.

Lisa Watne, the sponsor of the 1996 initiative, is one of the organizers of I-713 as well. Both measures share a myopic view wildlife management.

Proponents of the measure are targeting commercial and recreational trapping. But farmers, stockmen and homeowners also get caught up in the driftnet that is I-713.

The initiative would allow trapping, but only in extreme circumstances and only after nonlethal methods had been exhausted. Can you imagine a landowner catching and removing gophers or moles? Anyone who has dealt with either knows how time-consuming and futile this would be. Besides, relocating pests just makes them someone else’s problem.

Our state’s commercial and recreational trappers are part of the mix of factors that control wildlife populations. Take away that component and once-benign species could become pests in a hurry.

Massachusetts, which passed a similar law in 1996, saw its beaver population increase from 15,000 to almost 70,000. The outlawed traps were recently brought back, in emergency legislation to control the damage caused by flooding from beaver dams.

Even in instances where I-713 allows trapping of nuisance animals, it prohibits any sale or exchange of the fur.

What proponents are saying is, it’s OK to trap animals, you just can’t do anything useful with them. What a waste of resources.

The trap is set. Will we fall for another initiative that flies in the face of sound wildlife management practices? Don’t take the bait. Vote no on I-713.