Stop crying wolf

Seems all a rancher need do in these parts is cry wolf.

Bill McIrvin did just that until he got the attention of the press and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which he described as a “rogue government agency.” Then, according to Conservation Northwest, McIrvin refused to participate in nonlethal control methods on the wolves he claimed killed 17 of his cattle.

McIrvin utilized fear, rancher rights and loss of “livelihood” to his advantage. But it doesn’t take a certified public accountant to realize McIrvin’s Diamond M ranch is still intact; business losses are tax write-offs and, despite his nonparticipatory nature, the taxpayer footed the bill to insure his livelihood remains.

This debacle was a win-win for McIrvin. The Wedge Pack was hunted and killed.

I’m not sure why McIrvin didn’t move his herd from the publicly owned national forest land he’s leasing before 17 cattle were killed. I’m not sure why taxpayers don’t evict McIrvin’s privately owned company from that publicly owned national forest land but, amid the rhetoric this mess has generated, one truth remains: The wolves, a vital and intricate part of the ecosystem, have once again lost to money, livelihood and fear.

Sandra Babcock

Spokane Valley