The Columbian published two Associated Press stories, on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, regarding the culling of Washington wolves by hunters for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Apparently The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the cattle ranchers lobbies have enough clout that taxpayer money is spent to shoot wolves from helicopters. What a great service to ranchers who pay $1.69 per unit (cow and one calf) to graze on public land. Those cattle cause soil erosion, eat native plants and contaminate waterways from their droppings. Wolves, coyotes, bears and mountain lions are all natives here and are part of the natural beauty of public land. Killing off native animals, at taxpayer expense no less, is just plain wrong. How about writing a grazing contract that reads the ranchers proceed at their own risk and bear the loss of any cattle that are killed by natural predators?
