Court blocks efforts to remove wolf in Northeast Washington
The state’s plans to kill a wolf in northeast Washington got nixed Tuesday after a court sided with environmentalists seeking to block the action.
A King County Superior Court commissioner granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s efforts to kill a wolf from the Sherman Pack in Ferry County.
The order ended WDFW’s authorization of lethal removal for the pack in response to continued attacks on cattle. WDFW Deputy Director Amy Windrope gave the OK last Thursday, and the authorization was set to expire Wednesday.
Washington Wildlife First, Predator Defense and the Kettle Range Conservation Group filed a petition with the King County Superior Court asking the court to withdraw the kill order and prevent WDFW from killing any other wolves.
In the petition, which was dated Friday, the groups argue the livestock producers affected by the wolves had not done enough to keep their cattle from being attacked. They also noted that WDFW had already killed a wolf from the pack in August and argued that removing another could endanger the pack’s survival.
On Tuesday, the group requested the temporary restraining order to keep WDFW from taking action until the case is heard. After an afternoon hearing was held, Mark Hillman issued the restraining order.
The groups cheered the decision in a news release Tuesday evening. Francisco J. Santiago-Avila, the science and advocacy director for Washington Wildlife First, said the group was gratified the court stopped WDFW from carrying out an “unethical, inhumane, and unscientific order in time to save what remains of the Sherman wolf family.”
Wolves from the pack have been attacking cattle from the Diamond M Ranch near Laurier in Ferry County. Len McIrvin, owner of the ranch, said Wednesday morning that he had not seen the court documents but that the order shows the court does not understand the situation in Northeast Washington.
He said wolves are terrorizing cattle in the region, and that their presence has led to fewer cows getting pregnant, which means smaller calf crops and tighter margins for ranchers.
“The only way there’s going to be cattle left in (Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties) is if we can control the wolf population,” McIrvin said.
The order lasts through Oct. 28. A hearing is set for that day on the environmental groups’ request for an injunction blocking future wolf killings.
WDFW’s investigators have found the Sherman Pack to be responsible for at least a half-dozen attacks on cattle since mid-August. During the agency’s minimum count this winter, biologists found the pack consisted of at least five wolves, including a breeding pair.
In August, following the death of three calves and the injury of two others, WDFW killed an adult female from the pack. The agency’s announcement said the producer had been using non-lethal wolf deterrence measures, such as range riding.
Washington Wildlife First denounced that killing in a news release. The group’s statement said it was the 36th wolf WDFW had killed on behalf of the Diamond M Ranch.
Lethal removal is meant to disrupt a pattern of predation on livestock. Within a month after that wolf was killed, however, the pack was back at it. WDFW found that wolves injured calves on Sept. 28 and Oct. 1.
Windrope gave the kill order last Thursday in place of WDFW Director Kelly Susewind, who was out of the office. WDFW staff tried to kill a wolf in the ensuing days but were unsuccessful before the court order halted their work Tuesday.
It is unclear if WDFW would restart the effort if the court rules in the agency’s favor later this month.
Groups have gone to court to block the lethal removal of wolves in the past. In 2018, a court granted a temporary restraining order on a kill order for the Togo Pack, also in Ferry County. That suit was filed by Cascadia Wildlands and the Center for Biological Diversity.
This past July, WDFW killed a member of the Togo Pack after a series of attacks on livestock.