Wolves are scapegoated

Regarding “Kill wolves on private land” (Dec. 30): I’m not a rancher, but I started my own business 26 years ago. I know what profit and loss is about, and I respect John Haabberstad’s need to make a profit.

The anti-wolf billboards in Spokane Valley are repulsive and represent fearmongering through lies and innuendo. My Dec. 13 op-ed represented facts that prove wolves are not a huge problem in our area. There are many things more lethal to livestock than wolves. No one talks about those.

No, I don’t make my living from cattle, but nonlethal wolf management works very well. People in Sun Valley coexist with wolves just fine. Ketchum recently passed a resolution against Idaho’s policy of killing wolves. Gov. Butch Otter is spending $400,000 on wolf depredation. That could pay for a lot of nonlethal management tools and reimbursements for ranchers like Haabberstad.

I live in a rural area, and we have coyotes around often. I’ve had them in my driveway. We also have bears, and I saw a wolf here once. I also own two small dogs, and I’ve lived here for 10 years without incident. I’m careful with my dogs, and I welcome the presence of wildlife.

Ron Reed

Spokane