Vanity plates helping fund wolf efforts

Washington drivers who pay extra for personalized license plates on their vehicles play a big role in managing wolves.

The 2013 Legislature earmarked $10 from the purchase or renewal of each personalized plate for wolf monitoring and preventing conflicts between wolves and livestock.

The “vanity” license plates allowing people to use their own identifying characters – such as “I SKI XC” – instead of random characters were authorized for an extra fee by the Washington legislature in 1973.

The additional $10 for each plate from tax-shy lawmakers was recognition of the passions wolf recovery spark on both sides of the state.

“With virtually no general-fund money available, wolf management generated an intense demand for funding,” Nate Pamplin, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department wildlife program director. “The legislature recognized this.”

Hunting and fishing license fees and federal excise taxes on related equipment pay the bulk of Washington’s fish and wildlife management for fish and game.

Managing wolves is a relatively new expense. The first wolf pack in 70 years was documented in Washington in 2008.

“The goal is conflict avoidance as wolves reoccupy their habitat,” said Pamplin.

Plate sales are generating about $750,000 a year for wolf management, he said.

“That funding coupled with some deer and elk license revenue, as well as some federal funding, allowed us to build out our wildlife conflict section, which deals with wolves as well as with private-property conflicts with deer, elk, turkey and other wildlife. It helps us be proactive.”

Separate from the personalized plates, the Fish and Wildlife Department benefits from five of the dozens of license backgrounds vehicle owners can choose.

Pay extra for a bear, deer or elk background and some of your money goes to the game management program.

Funds from plates with orca backgrounds go to the state threatened- and endangered-species program while the bald eagle plates help fund the state’s watchable-wildlife program.

The Colville Tribe, which manages wolves on its reservation separately from the rest of Washington, received a $187,000 federal grant in 2012 to continue wolf research on the reservation and develop a wolf management plan.