Wagoner: Wolves In Western Washington Concerning

Lawmakers in western Washington have expressed concerns after the Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that a breeding pair had moved into Skagit County.  Sedro Woolley Republican Keith Wagoner is concerned about the threat those wolves pose livestock and pets.

“They eventually are going to be on our doorsteps.  There’s a reason we have the saying ‘a wolf at the door’, it’s not a good thing.”

Wagoner added he would look at eliminating the wolves, saying the reintroduction program has been a failed experiment.  The reintroduction plan calls for eight breeding pairs in the Cascade Mountains.  Wagoner thinks that’s a mistake.

“Those wolves eat every day, and I have people that live out there, including my parents.  And we’ve seen what’s happened in eastern Washington, that’s probably the reason the wolves have moved across the mountains.  They’ve cleaned out the game, and they’ve caused all kinds of havoc on the farmers.”

In addition to the direct threat to domestic animals, Wagoner fears the wolves will force elk onto agricultural lands as they try to escape to safety.

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