Wolf Delisting Pt 1
I’m Bob Larson. It’s been over two weeks since the U.S. Government decided to remove Gray Wolves from the Endangered Species List, making many in this state very happy. But there are others upset by the ruling so the battle is far from over.
The Washington Farm Bureau’s Tom Davis says animals are put on the endangered list so they can recover, and the Gray Wolf has done just that …
DAVIS … “Here in Washington, we have seen tremendous growth in the wolf population over the last decade, to the point now where we have recoverable levels just here in our own state. But, as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Interior looked at it, they saw that for the 48 contiguous states, that it was justifiable to remove the wolves, start that process, from the Endangered Species List.”
And that, Davis says should be celebrated …
DAVIS … “But, unfortunately, we’re seeing groups like the Center for Biological Diversity, they’ll use it as a fundraising effort and they’re going to start filing documents, likely they will, to sue to stop this action by our federal government.”
But, Davis says this decisions was based in “science” …
DAVIS … “These are career biologists and specialists that work both for the federal government and work here in our own state, that manage wildlife. They predate this Trump Administration, they’ll be around, these biologists, around through a full career. So, they provide some continuity of policy implementation and science.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on what Gray Wolf delisting means in Washington.
