ELLENSBURG — The group that advises Washington state on the management of wolves has agreed to a policy on how to lethally control the predators.
The Capital Press reports that the policy clarifies that ranchers and others will be expected to remove livestock carcasses and bones and take one other preventive measures, such as using guard dogs. It still says that wolves in a pack won’t be killed unless there are at least four livestock attacks in one year.
The wolf advisory group met several times before reaching consensus Wednesday in Ellensburg. The group’s members represent conservationists, ranchers, hunters and animal-rights groups.
Conservationists and ranchers say the new process will be better because it firms up what ranchers are expected to do to prevent attacks on livestock.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf policy lead Donny Martorello said the agency will soon put the policy in writing and circulate it.
