Washington

Legislation to Delist the Mexican Wolf Advances

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:11:58 GMT

The House Natural Resources Committee advanced the Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025 (H.R. 4255) with bipartisan support. The bill would remove federal ESA protections for the Mexican wolf, restoring commonsense wildlife management authority and providing much-needed relief to cattle producers and rural communities across the Southwest. The next step for the bill is to be presented to the full House for a vote.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) strongly support H.R. 4255, which would reduce regulatory barriers that have prevented effective management to safeguard livestock and rural communities from this abundant apex predator.

“For decades, cattle producers have borne the cost of federal policies that prioritize paperwork over practical wildlife management. The Mexican wolf population has grown well beyond recovery goals, yet producers are left without the tools needed to protect their livestock, their families and their livelihoods,” says Oregon rancher and NCBA Policy Division Chair Skye Krebs. “This isn’t just a producer issue — it’s a rural community issue. When predators cannot be responsibly managed, it puts people at risk and undermines the stewardship efforts of those who live and work on the land every day. Delisting the Mexican wolf would allow wildlife professionals to use proven, science-based management tools to reduce conflict and restore balance.”

Because of its ESA status, Mexican wolf management remains heavily restricted, even in areas where wolf populations have expanded significantly. Producers face ongoing livestock depredation, disrupted grazing operations, and delayed or denied responses to problem animals — often with little to no compensation for losses.

“Whether it is Mexican wolves, grey wolves or grizzly bears, ranchers across the West face daily challenges with recovered species protected by the Endangered Species Act. This bill is a step toward alleviating the challenges southwestern producers face and would recognize the realities on the ground,” says Colorado rancher and PLC President Tim Canterbury. “This legislation is grounded in established science and restores commonsense in the listing determination. The Mexican wolf has recovered, now is the time for Congress to finish the job and pass this legislation.”

NCBA and PLC commend the House Natural Resources Committee for advancing this legislation and thank Rep. Paul Gosar for introducing a bill that recognizes conservation success while standing up for the men and women who help feed Americans.

Read More about Wolves:
House Approves Gray Wolf Protection Removal in a Victory for Cattlemen
Nightly Battles and Big Losses: Ranchers Demand Reform as Wolves Continue to Wreak Havoc
Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools
The Cost of Coexistence With Wolves

Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:41:36 GMT

Ranchers repeatedly stress they are not advocating extermination of the wolves, but workable management solutions.

“We’re trying to be conservationists,” says Luke Morgan, Lightning Bolt Cattle Co. general manager. “Wolves are here to stay. We’ve got to have some tools to make it more holistic for people, wolves and the rest of the animals.”

Morgan manages 2,500 mother cows on multiple locations in Oregon and Washington utilizing both public and private lands. He says the split listing of wolves in Oregon is frustrating: “A line down the middle … federally listed on one side and not on the other … makes zero sense.”

Read more about the challenges rancher are facing with wolves:
Nightly Battles and Big Losses: Ranchers Demand Reform as Wolves Continue to Wreak Havoc

Rick Roberti, California Cattlemen’s Association president and a cattle rancher in Sierra Valley, adds: “We don’t want to get rid of all the wolves. We just want them managed in a way we don’t suffer so many losses — for them to return to their natural habitat.”

Cattle producer Amy Anderson Fitzpatrick says her family has been dealing with wolves since 2011. Her family raises cattle in southern Oregon during the grazing season (May to December), then move the herd to winter in Northern California. The base ranch, called Rancheria Ranch, is in the mountains of Oregon and is a mix of owned land and permitted grazing.

Fitzpatrick explains state and federal laws severely limit ranchers’ ability to defend their livestock; only nonlethal hazing is allowed, and requests to remove or euthanize problematic wolves have been denied.

Here are two requests from the producers dealing with wolves:

1. Coexistence management tools.

This would allow flexible, rapid deployment of nonlethal and, when needed, targeted lethal tools to address habituated wolves near people and livestock.

“They have zero fear of humans,” Morgan says. “If we could instill a little fear, push them back into wilderness areas and keep them more of a wild animal.”

He suggests seasonal, expedited permits and field-response teams during calving; prioritize high-risk allotments and pastures.

Fitzpatrick adds: “Our wolves are not scared of us, because why should they be?”

2. Notification and data transparency for risk management.

Roberti requests for more notification and data sharing regarding wolves. He says with collared wolves, agencies can tell ranchers when wolves enter their property, but he says: “We’ve been getting the reports after the kill.”

He would also like to know how many wolves there are and would like to see a deer survey done.

“If there’s not enough prey, you’re pretty much saying they’re going to eat cattle,” Roberti says.

Fitzpatrick expresses frustration with public perception and how the pro-wolf sentiment on social media downplays or ignores ranchers’ struggles with the predators.

Despite the ongoing hardships, Fitzpatrick says her family remains committed to ranching while calling for a level playing field that would allow effective protection of their livelihood.

Paul Roen, a Sierra County rancher, adds unified, more flexible regulations and continued collaboration between local, state and federal agencies is needed. He advocates for policy reform, increased documentation and knowledge-sharing to better equip rural communities to manage the realities of coexisting with wolves.

Roberti summarizes that sensible management policies will allow both wolves and ranchers to coexist, but he stresses that unless balance is restored and ranchers’ voices are heard, both the rural way of life and broader ecosystem could face severe consequences.

Your Next Read: Nightly Battles and Big Losses: Ranchers Demand Reform as Wolves Continue to Wreak Havoc

Nightly Battles and Big Losses: Ranchers Demand Reform as Wolves Continue to Wreak Havoc

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:42:51 GMT

It’s hard to fathom: 92 confirmed or probable kills of cattle by three wolves during one season (April to October 2025) in the Sierra Valley. For ranchers, it’s more than economical loss — the emotional toll of dealing with wolves targeting their livestock and livelihoods is real.

Reintroduction and management of wolves in Sierra County, Calif., has led to significant challenges. The community, led by officials such as Paul Roen, has been actively pushing for updated management protocols, enhanced deterrence measures and better support from state and federal agencies to address the escalating wolf-livestock conflict.

Roen, a Sierra County supervisor (similar to a county commissioner) and rancher, explains it’s more than a livestock issue; it is a human safety issue.

“These wolves were not bothered by humans whatsoever. I mean, they were not acting like wild animals at all,” he says in reference to the wolves killing cattle earlier this year.

Rick Roberti, California Cattlemen’s Association president and a cattle rancher in Sierra Valley, adds: “For every confirmed kill you find, there’s probably four to six others. The wolves had gotten so used to eating cattle they didn’t hardly even look at a deer if they could find one.”

Roen and Roberti both stress the wolves have no fear of humans, with frequent sightings near homes and barns.

The severity of the attacks led Roen and other local officials to declare a state of emergency, drawing statewide and media attention. Despite the efforts of ranchers and local authorities — including constant night patrols, protective measures and deployment of technology like drones — wolf predation persisted. The community also engaged with state and federal resources, including a Strike Force sent by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to document the losses and explore possible intervention .

The program, designed to prevent livestock attacks on ranching properties in the heavily impacted Sierra Valley, deployed more than 18,000 staff hours across 114 days, engaging in 95 hazing events that helped to prevent an even greater loss in cattle deaths.

Eighteen Sierra Valley ranches enrolled in the program. CDFW staff also assisted ranches in evaluating the use of wolf-deterring fladry and ensuring livestock carcasses are correctly disposed to avoid attracting scavenging wolves. Additionally, the program helped facilitate depredation investigations, enabling ranchers to access compensation through CDFW’s Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program .

Following the unprecedented level of livestock attacks across the Sierra Valley, CDFW, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), took the step of lethally removing four gray wolves from the Beyem Seyo pack.

“This action follows months of intensive non-lethal management efforts to reduce livestock loss and is grounded in the best available science and understanding of wolf biology,” according to the press release.

Roen says progress dealing with the wolf issue came with federal involvement and local law enforcement support. He says when the sheriff got involved , people woke up in Sacramento.

Read more about how sheriff departments from seven California counties united to oppose environmental polices they believe threaten ranchers and farmers.

Not Just California

The gray wolf is on the federal endangered species list except in the Northern Rocky Mountain region of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Oregon, Washington and north-central Utah. In Minnesota, the gray wolf is considered threatened. Because of these protections, killing a wolf in the states where it’s protected is illegal, even if it’s seen killing livestock.

Luke Morgan, Lightning Bolt Cattle Company general manager, has been dealing with wolves since 2011 when they first came to Oregon. Morgan manages 2,500 mother cows on multiple locations in Oregon and Washington using both public and private lands.

A pack of wolves that live on one of the Lightning Bolt ranches in western Oregon have been causing havoc the past couple years. According to Morgan, the wolves killed more than 25 head of livestock from mid-October to mid-November.

He says the wolves prey the weak-minded: “Whatever can’t take the pressure … the ones that will break and run.”

(CDFW)

Cattle producer Amy Anderson Fitzpatrick says her family has also been dealing with wolves since 2011. They raise cattle in southern Oregon during the grazing season (May to December), then move the herd to winter in Northern California. The base ranch, called Rancheria Ranch, is in the mountains of Oregon and is a mix of owned land and permitted grazing. The operation includes commercial cow herd plus some yearlings.

Since 2019, Fitzpatrick says at least 24 cattle deaths have been attributed to wolves, though actual losses are likely higher due to unconfirmed cases in the rugged terrain.

“I have learned far more about wolves and their behavior than I could ever imagine. Wolves kill for food, yes, but they also kill to hone their skills, teach their young and for fun. We have witnessed wolves literally bumping livestock bedded down to get them up and running to chase them,” Fitzpatrick says. “We’ve been dealing with it for about 14 years. … The earlier pack, the Rogue Pack, would hit Fort Klamath hard in the summer months when there was an abundance of yearling cattle, then in the fall they’d come over the hill to Rancheria and hit us. Now we deal with what is known as this Grouse Ridge Pack, which seems to just like to hang out at the ranch and hit our permit country in the summertime.”

Fitzpatrick says they previously anticipated up to five losses per year from cattle turned out on the range as a cost of doing business. With the increase in wolf population, the ranch tallied between 35 and 40 mostly weaned calves during the 2024 season.

The Rogue Pack would kill livestock as sport and not consume the animals. However, the current, larger pack tends to consume more carcasses, further complicating verification.

In Wisconsin over the past 12 months, wolf attacks on livestock have increased. According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there have been 62 livestock depredation incidents in 2025 — 45 killed and 17 confirmed harassments — all of which are either livestock or pets. That’s nearly double the number of incidents reported just three years ago.

According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau : “Wisconsin’s wolf population has rebounded from extinction to an undeniable conservation success. But lately, it feels more like a horror story than a success story.”

Read more about how ranchers say they are willing to deal with wolves if they will return to their natural habitat:
Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools

(Paul Roen)

Financial Loss is Real

Herd-level effects beyond death loss include lower conception rates, 50 lb. to 75 lb. weaning weight declines and cow herd fear. Wolves have changed cattle behavior significantly.

Fitzpatrick says the presence of wolves has caused observable stress and aggression in the cattle, leading to behavioral changes, abortions and decreased weaning weights.

“Wolves actively harass resting cattle, preventing them from relaxing or thriving,” she says.

Morgan says herd experience more vulnerability during calving season. He points out calves and protective dams are high-risk with wolf attacks leading to increasing accidental calf deaths and stress-related herd disruptions.

Research by Tina Saitone, a University of California-Davis professor and cooperative Extension specialist in livestock and rangeland economics, found one wolf can cause up to $162,000 in annual financial loss .

Compensation is Available But Falls Short

Compensation frameworks exist but often lack speed and scope and require confirmations that are often unfeasible. Morgan says there’s not even close to enough funds in the pool to cover all the losses.

“There is money appropriated in California, but we’re just having a hard time getting it,” Roberti adds. “Most have been waiting since April.”

All four producers say depredations are significantly undercounted compared with real losses due to terrain, investigation lags and evidence requirements. A shared frustration is the fact if an animal is nearly completely consumed, the investigators can’t find the evidence it was a wolf attack and thus, it does not count as a wolf depredation.

Emotional Toll is Substantial

For cattle producers impacted by wolves, it’s more than the financial toll; it’s the human factor, the stress incurred.

“Financial-wise, it’s huge. It’s astronomical, if you really dig into it, but the mental capacity it takes from us and the people who work for us is huge,” Morgan says. “The emotional toll we have to go through just watching and observing cattle, and we spend every day we possibly can trying to keep these animals alive.

“There’s nothing pretty about the way [wolves] kill animals,” he continues. “For us to go out and find them or have to deal with that, it’s huge emotionally.”

Fitzpatrick explains the losses due to wolves have deeply affected her dad.

“My dad is 81 years old, and I have never seen him so depressed,” she explains. “He’s not the same; he’s lost the fight. It’s like we’ve lost. How do you put a price tag on that?”

Dealing with wolves it is a safety issue as well, Roberti adds. As producers stay up all night checking on and protecting their cattle. Fitzpatrick agrees, summarizing the stressful steps she takes to check cattle, noting she now avoids certain tasks due to the increased risks to herself and her dogs.

Documenting the events in Sierra County, Roen says he hopes their experiences can be used as a road map for others. He plans to share plans, forms and training materials with ranchers facing similar threats.

“We created different plans and trainings we will allow everybody to plagiarize,” he says.

Your Next Read:
Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools

The Cost of Coexistence With Wolves

Beef Counts: Making a Difference

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:57:45 GMT

Cattle producers understand the nutritional value of beef and protein demand is at an all-time high. While consumers continue to buy beef at retail and through food service, another sector of the population is also in need of this valuable, nutrient dense protein — those dealing with food insecurity.

“Protein is always in demand, and it’s one of the things that is hard to get donated,” says Amy Luginbill, development manager with the Idaho Foodbank. “The Beef Counts program, really helps us ensure we’re able to provide quality beef, quality protein to folks across Idaho.”

Luginbill says 12.7% of the population in Idaho is affected by food insecurity.

Mobile distribution included beef, which is a much needed source of nutrients, along with donated produce, fruit, vegetables, yogurt and canned goods.

(Maggie Malson)

“On average we serve 211,000 people throughout the state each month,” she says.

Of the food distributed, 15% is protein.

“Protein is just an essential part of a well-rounded diet,” Luginbill adds. “The Beef Counts program helps us ensure protein is available and we’re meeting the nutrition needs to provide nourishment and food to folks who need it.”

Beef Counts was the first program of its kind and began in Idaho and Washington in 2010 as a rancher-led initiative to provide a more consistent supply of protein to those in need through the Idaho Foodbank. Partners in the collaboration include AgriBeef, the Idaho Cattle Association, the Idaho CattleWomen and the Idaho Beef Council. In Washington, ranchers partner with AgriBeef, the Washington Beef Council and 2nd Harvest. Donations to the program are used to purchase beef.

“The Beef Counts program has allowed us to provide 230,000 servings of beef throughout Idaho last year. This year, we’re on track to meet or exceed that,” Luginbill says.

In total since its inception, Beef Counts has provided more than 2.6 million servings of beef in Idaho and 1.4 million in Washington. And it’s donations from producers that make the difference.

John Hepton, of Hepton Livestock in Wilder, Idaho, has been involved with Beef Counts for five years. As a cattle feeder, he understands the importance of the product he and his customers work so hard to produce and has a mission to uniquely feed the world through beef. His company has always donated beef to local organizations where he has feeding entities. This year, they decided to make a bigger impact.

“We thought ‘What if we could provide 100 meals a day to the Idaho Food Bank that included beef?’. So, we got with the food bank, and they got with the Beef Council. Through the Beef Counts program, we do that every single day,” Hepton says.

Protein is a much needed source for food banks. Donations are matched and beef is provided by AgriBeef Co.

(Maggie Malson)

Hepton and additional industry partners, like Advantage Veterinary, are excited to have a way for everybody to be involved.

“They’re working in the heat, snow and rain, and they’re proud of what they do,” Hepton says. “They’re proud of how they take care of cattle. They’re proud of the beef they produce. They can all be a part of donating this great product that they put their heart and soul into, and help families in need in Idaho.”

Hepton encourages other ranchers and ag businesses to get involved with the program.

“We’ve had such fun doing it together as a group of cattle feeders,” he says. “We have some of the vendors we do business with and banking institutions donating to Beef Counts now. Our mission is to uniquely feed the world and encourage other people to do the same. We’re really involved in 4-H and FFA, and we want to spread that message as much as we can to use the product that we work so hard to produce to donate to hungry families.”

Japanese Importers Tour U.S. Beef Supply Chain

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:11:32 GMT

Japanese beef importers made a recent visit to the U.S. to learn more about the beef supply chain. About a dozen buyers from the four major beef importing companies in Japan traveled to Colorado, Kansas and Idaho. Jay Theiler of Agri Beef, the U.S. Meat Export Federation chair-elect, was one of the hosts.

“We had the great opportunity to show them all the steps in the beef supply chain, starting with going to a ranch operation, then Agri Beef’s feedyard out in Parma, Idaho,” Theiler says. “We took them to the producer owned plant, True West Beef in Jerome, Idaho. They really got to see a good overview of all the steps in our U.S. beef supply chain, and see the focus that we put on quality.”

The True West beef plant is one of the newest plants in the U.S., opening in June 2023.

“It’s a good example of a new facility, and it’s a plant that is also partially owned by producers here in the Northwest,” Theiler explains. “That’s a little bit different for the Japanese to see a model different than all the other plants in the United States.”

Japanese buyers examine cattle feed at an Idaho feedyard.

(USMEF)

Because there is not enough beef in Japan for all domestic consumption, they rely on trading partners.

“With the U.S., it’s been such a long relationship that they really do appreciate the quality that we produce here,” Theiler says. “The Japanese markets are critical to Agri Beef. There’s a lot of items that go over there that are not necessarily consumed here, domestically. And if you look at it as an industry, exports in total are around $415 a head, but $75 of that actually comes from Japan. It’s actually a critical market. It’s the number one volume market, and second only to South Korea and the value.”

The team met in Denver and received an overview from USMEF then visiting Idaho for the tour. They also met with representatives from the Idaho Beef Council, Idaho Department of Agriculture, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, Washington State Beef Commission and Oregon Beef Council. In Kansas, they toured the National Beef processing facility in Dodge City and learned about ranching and cattle feeding sectors.

The tour was supported by the Beef Checkoff Program, USDA and Idaho and Washington state beef organizations. For more information, visit usmef.org

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Washington Grower Shares How To Scale Regenerative Farming

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 13:30:00 GMT

By Deborah Huso

Austin Allred’s family has been farming the Royal Slope region of Washington state between Seattle and Spokane for three generations. He and his two brothers, Derek and Tyson, farm a combined 6,000 acres. They grow potatoes, cherry and apple trees and produce honey, while also running 10,000 beef cattle and milking about 6,000 dairy cows. The family also recently added a worm farm and a beef processing facility.

Like many producers with combined operations, Royal Family Farms focuses on finding a purpose for every acre and every byproduct. In fact, the Allreds have been practicing regenerative farming before it really had its own term.

“My dad was no-tilling before it was billed as regenerative,” Allred explains. “He was doing it to reduce diesel usage. He was also very conscientious about planting woodstock in corners of fields.”

Allred and his siblings took the same approach as they expanded the farm operations.

“I accelerated and defined [what Dad was doing] and put some strategy to it,” Allred says, with the goals of building organic matter in the soil, sequestering carbon and cleaning wastewater.

Royal Family Farms

(Royal Family Farms)

Extended Crop Rotations and Grazing
Allred recognizes the kind of stress agricultural production can put on the land, hence the many inputs required in traditional farming. But Royal Family Farms has demonstrated that not only do regenerative practices work, but one can accomplish them at scale.

“Anytime you’re growing a crop that a human can digest, you’re going to put a lot of pressure on soil,” Allred says. “It’s really hard to do a total no-till strategy. You can’t plant weeds with your wheat.”

Allred says potatoes are the least regenerative crop the farm grows, but says they counteract it by working cattle into a long crop rotation for added soil fertilization.

“If 20% of the ground is in potatoes, that land doesn’t come back online for another six to seven years. And during those years, we do a lot of composting,” he says. “Other years we do cover cropping and planting multispecies crops to grow microbial activity.”

Allred grazes his beef cattle on the cover crops, which provides feed while simultaneously adding more soil amendments, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).

Upcycling Everything
Nothing goes to waste at Royal Family Farms. The Allreds work with all the processors who clean and box their apples and turn their potatoes into French fries to retrieve all of the products that don’t qualify for human consumption to be upcycled into protein, as Allred explains it, providing food for their cattle in the form of potato culls or damaged fruit or nutrient-rich compost for their fields. Meanwhile any wood chips produced when the Allreds retire a cherry or apple orchard is either turned into cattle bedding, used for the worm farm or processed into biochar, a carbon-rich byproduct.

The Allreds’ interest in biochar, a charcoal-like substance derived from organic waste, developed out of a desire to bring more carbon into agricultural systems. And for the past few months, Royal Family Farms has used four machines to burn wood chips into charcoal that, when mixed with compost, recharges carbon in the soil.

“As farmers, we are selling off carbon, whether it’s beef, milk or cherries,” Allred says. “Seventy to 80% of retired apple, cherry and pear trees in Washington were getting burned at the end of their effective life. Biochar was a way to bring in more carbon and upcycle and compost it.”

“We try to upcycle every byproduct into something of value,” Allred says. “Eventually it all becomes a soil amendment. It’s only a loss if we let that carbon into the air.”

Reusing Wastewater With Worms
Water is a critical part of any farming operation, and Royal Family Farms sought out a better way to
filter wastewater from their dairy operations and reuse it. What was their regenerative solution? Worms.

“We started investing in what is now the biggest worm farm in the world about eight years ago,” Allred says.

Working with a company called BioFiltro headquartered in Santiago, Chile, the Allreds’ worm farm includes eight acres of what looks like 5'-deep swimming pools. These pools are able to serve as the home for about 50 million worms at any one time.

“Wood chips make up the medium they live in, and that’s also the filter for the dirty water,” Allred explains. “The dairy is designed to flow to a low spot, where we have two 5,000-gallon vacuums that bring the wastewater to the worms.”

The worms digest the wastewater, removing heavy metals and other contaminants. The waste matter the worms produce is rich in microbials, and the Allreds take the worm castings and mix them with compost to produce nutrient-dense soil.

Royal Family Farms

(Royal Family Farms)

Eliminating Waste and Need for Inputs
Allred says engaging in regenerative practices large-scale required careful consideration of how everything could work together.

“We started integrating vegetable, fruit, protein and bees to get to the next generation of regeneration,” he explains. Allred points out that the digestive systems of cattle along with biochar create compost. “It’s all about upcycling ‘waste’ products.”

The result of instituting these practices is dramatically reduced reliance on inputs.

“This year we used no phosphorus and potassium and had equal to or greater yields without it,” Allred remarks. “And across the board, we have better quality.”

He adds the farm’s greatest payout is not having to input synthetics.

“The more natural systems we have in play, the more nutrients we keep in the loop, the less we have to go get inputs,” he says.

Allred acknowledges farmers can filter water through mechanical or chemical systems, but says natural systems are typically cheaper to implement.

“Natural investments are always going to have a long-term return on investment,” Allred says. “The problem is producers often don’t have the margin to always be investing in long-term ROI.”

Royal Family Farms’ regenerative farming practices offer payoffs 10 to 15 years out, Allred estimates.

“We’ve bridged that gap with carbon credits and vertically integrating to pick up those margins,” he says.

This year Royal Family Farms is starting to see its regenerative operations pay off in a big way.

“We purchased 90% less phosphorus and potassium [K] than we have in the past and significantly less nitrogen,” Allred says. “We’re working on nitrogen for the next five years because ruminants make P and K.”

“Regenerative farming starts to gobble up the biggest expenses any farm is going to pay — your fertilizer bill and your chemical bill,” he says. “On the cattle side, your feed bill is your biggest expense. Regenerative farming gives you higher-quality, local food.”

No one knows better than you that the future of your farm depends on balancing practices and profits that sustain your land, resources and family . The stakes are evolving based on weather patterns, technology, market demand and more. What actions are you taking to remain resilient?

Rancher Fined $50,000 For Constructing Illegal Dam

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 03:28:50 GMT

A rancher in Washington state has settled a complaint against him from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by agreeing to pay a $50,000 penalty and remove an illegal dam he built on a tributary to the Pend Oreille River.

According to a report in the Spokane Spokesman-Review, Brock Maslonka built the earthen dam in September 2015 on his 158-acre property a few miles north of Cusick, Wash. The dam is about 100 feet wide and 200 feet long, and continues to block Perkins Slough, which feeds into the river.

In a new release, the EPA said the unauthorized dam significantly degraded the ecosystem of Perkins Slough by reducing water quality, increasing turbidity and disrupting the life cycles of important aquatic organisms. The dam caused backed-up water to flood the highway in early 2016, according to a civil complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In a responding court filing, Maslonka said that he built the dam for irrigation and to protect his property from being inundated by the Pend Oreille River.

In 2017, the EPA received complaints about the dam and discovered that Maslonka had failed to apply for a Clean Water Act permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. After it was unable to reach an agreement with Maslonka, the EPA referred the matter to the Department of Justice, which filed the case in the Eastern District of Washington in 2020.

In July, the parties entered into an agreement, called a consent decree, in which Maslonka agreed to pay the $50,000 penalty, remove the fill material used to build the dam, restore the site and preserve the habitat through deed restrictions.

All dam removal and restoration work must be completed by June 15, 2024. Maslonka must then monitor the work and ensure that it is successful.

DOJ Recommends 10-Year Sentence for Easterday

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 15:40:17 GMT

Federal prosecutors have recommended Washington state cattleman Cody Easterday spend at least 10 years and one month in prison for a fraud scheme that cost Tyson Fresh Meats and another victim at least $244 million.

Justice Department attorneys filed a memo in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington that called the theft “staggering” and under standard sentencing guidelines recommended Easterday serve between 121 and 151 months, or up to 12 years and seven months.

Easterday’s scheme began to unravel in late 2020 when Tyson announced it was correcting financial results with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its beef segment for fiscal years 2017 through 2020. Tyson discovered “misappropriation of company funds” by one of its suppliers. Court documents later revealed that supplier to be Easterday who was charging Tyson for the costs of buying and feeding as many as 200,000 cattle that did not exist.

Easterday pleaded guilty in the “ghost cattle” scheme in 2021, and his sentencing has been delayed three times to allow Easterday’s legal team to sort out what the judge described as “a mess” in terms of personal financial issues, Easterday’s creditors and Tyson.

Tyson’s losses totaled $233 million and Segale Properties of Tukwila, WA, lost $11 million. Easterday has promised to make restitution as part of the plea agreement.

Easterday accepted responsibility for his crime and sought to raise money for the victims by selling his family’s extensive cattle and farm holdings through bankruptcy court, according to the Justice Department.

Sentencing is now scheduled for Oct. 4 in Yakima, WA, by U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Bastian.

By accepting responsibility, Easterday’s sentencing range was reduced by approximately four to six years, according to the Justice Department.

Seattle Selected for Port Pop-Up to Ease Ag Supply Chain

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 22:07:18 GMT

USDA announced on Friday another ag commodity “pop-up” port will be opening to temporarily house ag containers for shipping.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance is partnering the USDA to bring the Port of Seattle a 49-acre pop-up site that will accept both dry and refrigerated agricultural products for temporary storage.

AgDay reports the Northwest Seaport Alliance saw a nearly 30-percent decline in the export of ag commodities in the last six months of last year, with the ratio of loaded versus empty container exports shifting to predominately empty containers since May of 2021.

A similar pop-up site launched at California’s Port of Oakland earlier this month, along with U.S. Department of Transportation partnership with the Port of Savannah in Georgia.

More on the Way

USDA says they will continue to seek opportunities to partner with additional ports or other intermodal container facilities to help American farmers and agricultural producers move their product to market.

“The pandemic revealed vulnerabilities across our supply system and as the economy has made an historic recovery, it has put additional strain on the supply chain,” Vilsack says. “The Biden-Harris Administration is calling out ocean carriers that are taking advantage of the situation to leverage undue profits and are treating U.S. agricultural companies and producers unacceptably.”

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) praised the launch in a news release today, saying the site will help to “deliver relief” to agricultural exporters grappling with supply chain struggles. However, they feel this site is only one leg of the supply chain race.

“We urge the administration to build on today’s great news by expanding further to inland locations.” says Jim Mulhern, NMPF president. “We urge Congress to move forward swiftly with legislative solutions to the supply chain crunch by passing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and advancing immigration reform to address the growing labor challenges facing our dairy farms and plants.

Bridge the Gap

Adjustments to truck-carrying capacity has been heavily debated as a solution to clogged ports.

White House Ports Czar John Porcari says he has an ongoing discussion with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about increasing truck carrying capacity, as truck size and weight specifications are established at the state level, with federal oversight.

“This is not just a short-term issue related to the difficulties in exporting right now,” says Porcari. “This is a perennial issue that has be tackled in our infrastructure to accommodate those larger weights.”

Vilsack echoed Porcari saying ports and truck capacity are an “interesting” issue when considering the bipartisan infrastructure bill. He says as bridges and roads are repaired across the U.S., they can be strengthened to handle more weight and offer “greater resilience and efficiency in the long term.”

Read more from AgWeb:
> Will The USDA Pop-Up Site Solve the Clogged Ports Issue?
> John Phipps: It’s Not a Chain, It’s a Web

Ghost-Cattle Scheme Spawns Another Lawsuit

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:09:11 GMT

Rabo AgriFinance says loans it made to the Easterday family in Washington state are in default, and the international finance and banking company has filed suit in federal court seeking foreclosure on Easterday properties.

The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal issues that began to unravel in late December when Tyson Fresh Meats announced it was correcting financial results with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its beef segment for fiscal years 2017 through 2020. Tyson’s corrections were necessary after it discovered “misappropriation of company funds” by one of its beef suppliers.

That supplier, court documents revealed in January, was Cody Easterday, Mesa, Washington, who pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding Tyson Foods Inc. and another company out of more than $244 million by charging them for the costs of buying and feeding as many as 200,000 cattle that did not exist.

The ghost-herd scheme has now led to several lawsuits and bankruptcies by Easterday Ranches Inc. and Easterday Farms.

“The loan is in default and has not been paid,” Rabo AgriFinance said in its April 21 filing for breach of the loan agreement. The complaint further states that Easterday Farms could not be included as a defendant in this civil action because of a stay in place since Easterday Farms filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition on Feb. 8. Easterday Ranches had filed for bankruptcy just one week earlier.

A federal bankruptcy judge consolidated the two bankruptcy proceedings “for procedural purposes,” noting it was simpler to administer them together.

In their separate bankruptcy filings, both Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches each claimed assets of between $100 million and $500 million dollars, as well as liabilities between $100 million and $500 million.

However, those bankruptcy filings by the Easterday conglomerate “was a separate and independent default” under the loan agreement, Rabo AgriFinance said in its filing.

The Rabo AgriFinance lawsuit names 3E Properties, along with Karen Esterday, Debby and Cody Easterday and Jody Easterday. Karen, Debby and Cody Easterday all are general partners of Easterday Farms, and Jody Easterday and husband Andrew H. Wills have interest in the mortgaged properties, the suit says.

Rabo AgriFinance supplied a nearly $1 million line-of-credit to Easterday’s large onion and potato packing and storage facilities in Pasco and Basin City, WA. Court records show the loan accumulated $58,000 in unpaid interest on the contract and the default within two months. And in the three months since, it has continued to accrue interest of about $580 daily at a 21% rate.

In the Tyson case, Cody Easterday, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and agreed to pay $244,031,132 in restitution, according to a U.S. Department of Justice statement. Tyson spokesman Gary Michelson said in January that Easterday “…admitted to the scheme and acknowledged the fraud was initiated to cover extensive commodities trading losses he had experienced.”

Easterday is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison but likely will see much less prison time based on federal sentencing guidelines.

Related stories:

Tyson Sues Cattle Feeder Over ‘Fraudulent Scheme’

Easterday Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Tyson

AB Livestock Buys Feedlot Entangled In Tyson Lawsuit

AB Livestock Buys Feedlot Entangled In Tyson Lawsuit

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 21:42:51 GMT

While Tyson Fresh Meats lawyers were filing a lawsuit on Monday (Jan. 25) against one of the packer’s largest cattle suppliers in Washington state, the ink was still drying on the sale of one of that supplier’s feedlots to one of Tyson’s competitors.

Easterday Ranches, Inc., has sold its “North Lot” in Franklin County, WA, to AB Livestock of Boise, Idaho, according to a report by Northwest News Network , a collaboration of public radio stations that broadcast in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The sale was completed Jan. 22, 2021.

The 25,000-head feedlot sits on 1,500 acres with adjacent irrigated and dry farmland spanning multiple sections. It sold for $16 million dollars , according to the Franklin County Assessor’s Office.

AB Livestock is a division of Agri Beef Co, based in Boise. Agri Beef co-owns Washington Beef, a beef packer based in Toppenish, WA, with a daily slaughter capacity of 1,550 head. Last July, Agri Beef announced it would open a packing plant in Jerome, ID , that will process 500 head per day and operate as True West Beef.

The sale of the Easterday feedlot raises some issues the court will need to sort out, since Tyson has said it still has 54,000 cattle on feed with Easterday Ranches. It is unknown how many of Tyson’s cattle are in the North Lot, and how many could still be under Easterday’s watch in its other facility, a 35,000-head feedlot located near Kennewick.

In its court filing, Tyson asked for a court-appointed receiver to take control of Easterday Ranches. Court documents include a request for the current Easterday Ranches staff to turn over everything from keys to financial documents.

“We were not aware the sale was completed when we filed our requests with the court, however, the news does not change our position on the need for a court-appointed receiver to take control of the remaining assets of Easterday Ranches,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in an email.

Agri Beef is known for producing brands including Snake River Farms, Double R Ranch and St. Helens. The company says the acquisition plays a strategic role in its commitment and vision for growth.

“This acquisition provides AB Livestock the opportunity to increase its business with local Northwest suppliers, while reducing reliance on cattle supplies from Canada,” said Matt Buyers, President of AB Livestock in a press release. “It also dramatically reduces our overall carbon foot-print as it brings an additional source of fed-cattle supply much nearer to our Washington processing facility.”

Tyson filed its lawsuit in an attempt to recover assets “in the aftermath of a fraudulent scheme by Easterday Ranches” in which Tyson said it lost millions.

In a statement earlier this week, Tyson said, “Easterday falsified documents to obtain reimbursement by Tyson of more than $200 million in connection with some 200,000 cattle that did not exist. The president of Easterday Ranches admitted to the scheme and acknowledged the fraud was initiated to cover extensive commodities trading losses he had experienced.”

The lawsuit states Easterday “submitted false invoices to Plaintiff (Tyson) for reimbursement, identifying cattle that did not exist; has requested and received reimbursement from Plaintiff for feed that was not in fact purchased; has submitted fictitious inventory records to Plaintiff; and has otherwise schemed to defraud Plaintiff in a way that has caused Plaintiff losses in excess of $225 million.”

Related stories:

Tyson Sues Cattle Feeder Over ‘Fraudulent Scheme’

Agri Beef Plans New Idaho Packing Plant

Online Threats Lead To Cancellation Of Washington Wolf Meetings

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:51:10 GMT

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has cancelled a series of 14 wolf-related public meetings as a precaution for the safety of the public and staff.

“We got to a point where the department could simply not assure the safety of the public or the staff,” said Steve Pozzanghera, the department’s eastern region director told the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

Fish and Wildlife was to hold meetings to discuss post-recovery and management plans for when the wolves are no longer a state or federally endangered species. Public input was needed for that process.

Pozzanghera said as his agency started planning the meetings, they worked with local law enforcement knowing wolf issues are usually contentious. That’s when they started seeing Facebook posts threatening violence, including threats focused around agency plans to kill wolves that had attacked cattle. The threats came from both wolf-partisans and wolf-haters.

“Both sides were playing equally poorly,” he said. “We had concerns, given that environment, these meetings wouldn’t be productive.”

Wolves have killed and injured a number of cattle this summer, prompting agency officials to kill members of the Old Profanity Territory pack. The pack was completely eliminated by department staff earlier this month, prompting anger and lawsuits from some environmental and conservation groups.

Washington officials say according to an annual survey, the state has at least 126 wolves, 27 packs and 15 breeding pairs. The state’s wolf population has grown, on average, 30 percent per year since the canines naturally returned to Washington in 2008.

While the meetings have been canceled, the process remains open to public comment online through Nov. 1.

Related stories:

Eastern Washington Wolf Pack Eliminated

Rancher’s Grazing Permit At Risk After Wolf’s Death

NCBA, PLC Oppose Grizzly Bear Recovery

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:14 GMT

An effort to return grizzly bears to North Cascades National Park is back in motion after officials announced public comment will be reopened.

On Thursday, July 25, 2019, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that a 90-day extension of the comment period on the draft grizzly bear recovery plan and environmental impact statement will be open until Oct. 24.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is opposed to the reintroduction of grizzly bears to the Northern Cascades ecosystem.

“This industry remains fervently opposed to the introduction of yet another federally-protected apex predator in the Northern Cascades,” Ethan Lane Senior Executive Director of the NCBA Federal Lands and Executive Director of the Public Lands Council, said in a statement.

“Rural communities and ranching families throughout the region are already overwhelmed by exploding populations of gray wolves – it would be entirely inappropriate for the federal government to further exasperate these struggles by adding more grizzly bears to the region. We will continue oppose this action during the extended comment period and will be encouraging our members, and all those who are locally impacted by this decision, to voice their opposition as well,” Lane said.

Biologists estimate that fewer than 10 grizzly bears remain in the North Cascades, the most at-risk bear population in North America. The last verified grizzly sighting in Washington’s Cascades was in 2011.

Supporters of reintroduction of the bears claim it would restore a key predator to its home, where it has not roamed since the turn of the 19th century, and bring a healthier ecological balance to the area.

“We are pleased to see recovery efforts for grizzly bears in the North Cascades get back on track,” said Robb Krehbiel, Northwest representative for Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation nonprofit.

“The science is clear on the ecological benefits of grizzly bears,” Krehbiel said. “Defenders of Wildlife has been proactively working with partners in the region to prevent human-bear conflicts. We know that Washington communities can thrive alongside these bruins. It’s time to bring back the bears.”

Related stories:

Montana Grizzly Bear Euthanized After Killing Cattle

Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Populations Grow; Is Delisted As An Endangered Species

Startup Sells Beef Online Direct from Washington-area Farms

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:48:42 GMT

An online startup that sells sustainable beef has expanded its service to Washington, D.C.

WTOP-FM reported on Wednesday that Crowd Cow beefed up its reach to the Washington-area and is working with local farms nearby including Virginia ones in Front Royal and Beaverdam.

The less than two-year-old Seattle-based startup uses a crowdfunding model to sell cuts of meat one cow at a time from small farms nationwide. Consumers log on to the company’s website and select desired cuts from a featured cow. Once all the “steak holders” have claimed the animal’s shares the cow is “tipped,” credit cards get charged and the meat is shipped.

Joe Heitzeberg says he and Ethan Lowry founded Crowd Cow to give consumers a convenient way to buy quality cuts directly from the farmer.

'Oreo' Survives Washington Blizzard

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:21:32 GMT

Blizzard conditions in central Washington state on Saturday made caring for livestock a challenge. According to a report from Accuweather, “Strong winds led to moderate to severe blowing and drifting snow with poor visibility and life-threatening conditions. AccuWeather Realfeel® Temperatures dropped to minus 10 F Saturday afternoon.”

A social media post by Nick Cobb, Ephrata, WA, of his calf “Oreo” went viral. Cobb, who operates C&C Farms with his family, said he rescued several calves, but Oreo was covered in snow and ice, and was taken to the Cobb’s home to be warmed in a bath by Cobb’s daughter McKinley and wife Kelly.

“I saw this particular calf, my daughter named Oreo, who was underneath plywood, covered in ice and snow. He was whimpering,” Cobb told AccuWeather in an interview. “When I picked him up, he was in pretty rough shape.

“We usually take calves to the warming barn, but he was a little more iced up than everyone else, so we took him home and rubbed him down,” Cobb said.

The other 14 calves were in better condition than Oreo and were fed and cared for in a warming shed, Cobb said. The calves typically stay there for about 12 to 24 hours before being brought back to the field with the rest of the cattle.

Dan Murphy: Lawmaker A ‘Domestic Terrorist?’

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:26:28 GMT

A Washington state representative is accused of being actively involved with extremist groups advocating armed resistance against the federal government, just like the Bundy Clan.

I had hoped that the sordid saga of the Bundys — father and brothers both — might have run its course, both in terms of media coverage and law enforcement.

However, the fallout from the events that propelled the renegade ranchers into national prominence continues to create an unwelcome impact even these five years later.

This latest chapter involves an elected representative serving in the Legislature in Washington state.

As you recall, the patriarch of the clan, Cliven Bundy, who refused to pay more than a million dollars in delinquent grazing fees for cattle he was running on public lands adjacent to his Clark County, Nevada, ranch, defied Bureau of Land Management officials who attempted to round up his stock for non-payment of assessed fees.

That triggered a standoff in 2014 between federal officials and armed militia members who showed up to support the Bundys’ claim that the federal government “had no jurisdiction and no authority over a citizen of Nevada,” as Cliven proclaimed at the time.

Then in January 2016, a group of armed anti-government activists led by Cliven’s sons Ryan and Ammon Bundy seized the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in a remote area in eastern Oregon. After 41 days, the occupation finally ended, but not before one of the group, self-described “patriot” LaVoy Finicum, was shot and killed when he drove an SUV off the road into a snowbank while fleeing FBI agents and Oregon state troopers attempting to arrest the trespassers.

The eventual court cases against the occupiers were inconclusive, and other than the multi-millions in law enforcement and clean-up costs the Bundys forced the taxpayers to pay for, one could have hoped that it might be possible to close the books on that expensive exercise in lawlessness.

Not so fast.

Militia member menace

Turns out that one of the elected officials who secretly supported the Malheur Refuge takeover three years ago has continued to promote an anti-government agenda.

And now that details about his activities have been made public, he is facing censure and possible expulsion from his legislative seat.

Rep. Matt Shea, a Republican from the Spokane Valley area in eastern Washington, has allegedly been traveling throughout the West “meeting with far-right extremist groups and organizing anti-government activities,” according to the report completed in July by an investigative team headed by a former FBI agent.

Last week Shea was expelled from the Washington House GOP caucus and according to news reports, there have been calls from both parties for his resignation.

The report found that Shea had trained young people to fight a “holy war,” condoned intimidating his political opponents and promoted militia training by the so-called Patriot Movement for potential armed conflict with law enforcement personnel.

Investigators determined that Shea “engaged in conversations with Ammon Bundy and other militia members in the planning and preparation of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.” Weeks before the takeover, Shea had issued a press release asking for “patriot and militia groups” near the wildlife refuge site “to rally against the U.S. government,” according to the report.

Not only that, but Shea has also promoted creation of a 51st state in Eastern Washington, one that would be called Liberty and would be run on what he described as “biblical principles.”

And predictably, he labeled the report of his anti-government activities as totally inaccurate.

“This is a sham investigation meant to silence those of us who stand up against attempts to disarm and destroy our great country,” Shea posted on Facebook.

Despite his rather transparent disclaimer, Rep. Shea’s behavior is reprehensible and would merit condemnation, if not indictment, were a private citizen accused, as he has been, of having “planned, engaged in and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States,” as the investigative report stated.

But for an elected official, one who raises his hand and swears to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Washington upon taking office?

Such behavior is beyond comprehension.

Shea is facing expulsion from the Legislature for his conduct, and despite his defiant statement that, “I will not back down, I will not give in, I will not resign,” that’s exactly what needs to happen.

The opinions in this column are those of Dan Murphy, an award-winning journalist and commentator.

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Feedlot Settles Air Pollution Case with Washington State

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:24:18 GMT

A feedlot in southeastern Washington has settled a fine imposed by the state after allegedly failing to manage air pollution.

Idaho-based J.R. Simplot Co. will pay a $5,000 fine to the Washington Department of Ecology after originally being fined 10-times as much at $50,000. The fine was originally imposed for small particles being allowed to go in the air.

The feedlot has agreed to pave roads around the yard with asphalt at an estimated cost of $30,000 to help limit dust particles at the 80,000 head feedlot near Wallula, Wash.

J.R. Simplot Co. had attempted to appeal the case with the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board prior to the settlement.

“We’re happy to reach this resolution,” says Simplot spokesman Josh Jordan. “The safety of the community where we work is extremely important to us, so if there are concerns, we want to address that. The road should help significantly.”

According to state officials the feedlot will be required to update its dust-control plan and improve particle pollution prevention. These goals will be achieved by spraying water on roadways and cattle pens to control dust. Employee training will also be required.

Washington state law requires feedlots to limit dust and emissions from blowing onto neighbors. The Department of Ecology alleges the feedlot did not meet these goals from April 1 to June 20, 2015.

Juvenile Wolf Killed in Washington’s Old Profanity Territory Pack

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:24:07 GMT

A young wolf in Washington that is a member of a pack known for preying on cattle has been killed by a wildlife department marksman.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has confirmed that on Sept. 16 a juvenile member of a wolf pack running in the Old Profanity Territory was euthanized after the pack repeatedly preyed on cattle on federal grazing lands in the Kettle River Range of Ferry County.

A pack of four wolves was spotted from a helicopter before being shot by the marksman. According to WDFW officials, it is difficult to identify adult and juvenile wolves during this time of the year because of the size of the animals. The young wolf weighed about 50 lb.

A day after the juvenile wolf was removed it was confirmed that an adult cow had been killed in the same general area. A necropsy determined that the cow had likely been killed prior to the wolf’s removal. WDFW staff are working options to further deter the Old Profanity Territory pack and will use incremental removal action as authorized by the state’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. Under the plan wolves a can be removed with lethal action after preying on livestock three times in a 30 day period or four times in 10 months.

The lethal removal was authorized on Sept. 12 after the Old Profanity Territory pack attacked cattle six different times from Sept. 4 to 7. At the time the pack killed a calf and injured five calves on a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment. The frequency of attacks warranted incremental removal of wolves from the pack, which means one or two wolves could be removed.

Prior to lethal action being taken there were non-lethal deterrents implemented by the impacted rancher, including:

Using range riders to keep watch over his herd.
Calving outside of occupied wolf range
Delaying turning out cattle until July 10 – a month later than usual – when calving is finished and the calves are larger and less prone to predation.
Removing or securing livestock carcasses to avoid attracting wolves to the rest of the herd.
Removing sick and injured livestock from the grazing area.

Two activists groups attempted to halt the kill order similar to what had been done in a depredation case in August . However, a Thurston County judge rejected the injunction that was sought by the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands.

The depredation case that occurred in August eventually was addressed when a male wolf was killed in northern Ferry County by a WDWF marksman from a helicopter.

The Old Profanity Territory pack is running in an area near the Profanity Peak pack which was believed to be killed or moved territories after a similar case of cattle depredation in 2016 .

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving wolf packs in Washington read the following stories:

Kill Order Approved for 2nd Washington Wolf Pack After Cattle Attacks

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:24:03 GMT

For the second time in less than a month wildlife officials in Washington have approved taking lethal action on another wolf pack following a number of attacks on cattle.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind made the authorization on Sept. 12 following the confirmation of six separate cattle depredations by a pack of wolves on the federal grazing lands in the Kettle River Range of Ferry County.

The Old Profanity Territory pack made the six attacks on cattle starting on Sept. 4, killing once calf and injuring five others on a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment. The pack is running in an area near the Profanity Peak pack which was believed to be killed or moved territories after a similar case of cattle depredation in 2016.

An “incremental” removal of wolves from the pack has been authorized by WDFW’s lethal removal protocol under guidance of an 18-member Wolf Advisory Group. A threshold of three wolf attacks on livestock in 30 days warrants lethal removal under WDFW policy, along with preying on livestock four times in 10 months.

Under the plan and protocol incremental removal allows for one or two wolves to be lethally taken from the pack. Lethal action can be taken by starting on Sept. 13 in the afternoon following a court ordered waiting period of one business day.

Humane lethal removal tactics include shooting from a helicopter, trapping, and shooting from the ground.

Before lethal action could be taken it was required that the impacted rancher also use non-lethal methods to deter wolves from preying on livestock. In this particular case the rancher did the following:

Using range riders to keep watch over his herd;
Calving outside of occupied wolf range;
Delaying turning out cattle until July 10 – a month later than usual – when calving is finished and the calves are larger and less prone to predation;
Removing or securing livestock carcasses to avoid attracting wolves to the rest of the herd; and
Removing sick and injured livestock from the grazing area.

Besides the cattle that were preyed on in September, there were other possible cases of depredation on the grazing allotment that were not determined to be wolves. Three calves were found dead from Aug. 20-26, but most of the flesh was already missing from the calves.

The rancher and range riders attempted to move cattle from allotment and increase patrols to help limit wolf activity at the time.

“This is a very difficult situation, especially given the history of wolf-livestock conflict in this area,” Susewind said. “We are committed to working with a diversity of stakeholders in a collaborative process to seek other creative and adaptive solutions to prevent future losses of wolves and livestock.”

Earlier this month a male wolf was killed in northern Ferry County after the Togo pack had preyed on livestock six times since November, with three cases happening during a 10 period in August. The Togo pack removal saw backlash from activists groups who sued to stop the kill order . During the waiting period for a court hearing a rancher shot at the male wolf in self-defense , resulting in an injury to the wolf before a final kill order was approved.

The original Profanity Peak pack had seven wolves removed after a string of cattle killings in 2016 that resulted in at least 15 dead catte. At the time there were believed to be a female and three pups remaining in the pack. The kill order came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the removal cost $135,000 and activist groups were outraged with the number of wolves removed .

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving wolf packs in Washington read the following stories:

Washington Wolf Killed After Judge Approves Lethal Action

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:59 GMT

A wolf in Washington has been killed following multiple cattle deaths and a lawsuit that resulted in a judge blocking and then approving lethal removal.

Wildlife officials with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed that a GPS collared male member of the Togo wolf pack was killed after preying on livestock. The wolf was shot by a WDFW marksman fatally on Sept. 2 from a helicopter in Ferry County near the Canadian border.

The Togo pack has repeatedly preyed on cattle grazing U.S. Forest Service allotments in the past year. Since November there had been six attacks on livestock, three of them occurred in August during a 10 day period.

This prompted WDFW to pursue lethal action to control the wolf pack under the guidance of the 18-member Wolf Advisory Group lethal removal rule. However, a l awsuit was filed by two activist groups that halted the kill order until a court hearing on Aug. 31.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy denied request for a preliminary injunction by two environmental groups, the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands, which would have prohibited the wolf’s removal. Murphy said the two activist groups had not met the legal standard required for her to issue an injunction. By denying the request it allowed WDFW officials and the impacted rancher to take lethal action by removing one wolf from the pack.

During the time that the temporary halt in lethal action was in place because of the lawsuit, the rancher shot at the male wolf in self-defense . The wolf was hit in its left rear leg which appeared to be broken below the knee, but the wolf was still mobile.

Upon killing the wolf, WDFW officials confirmed that the wolf had in fact been injured when it was shot by the rancher. A necropsy will be performed on the wolf as soon as possible.

WDFW field staff will continue to monitor the Togo pack’s activity and work with the rancher to prevent any further conflicts. There is at least one adult female left in the pack and two pups born in the spring.

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

“We know that some level of conflict is inevitable between wolves and livestock sharing the landscape,” says Ben Maletzke, WDFW statewide wolf specialist. “Our goal is to minimize that conflict as the gray wolf population continues to recover.”

For 2017, WDFW processed two claims for livestock compensation totaling $3,700 in losses to producers. Last year two wolves from the Smackout pack were removed after killing two cattle during the grazing season and showing a history of preying on livestock in 2016. Similarly, one wolf was killed from the Sherman pack after killing four cattle and injuring another in the 2017 grazing season.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving the Togo wolf pack in Washington read the following stories:

Report: Washington Rancher Shot at Wolf in Self-Defense

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:55 GMT

A rancher in Washington reportedly shot at a wolf in self-defense according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The shooting occurred on Aug. 23 in northeast Washington within the territory the Togo wolf pack runs. Investigators from WDFW went to the scene on Aug. 24 and found no evidence that the wolf had been shot.

The rancher told WDFW investigators that he shot at a black, collared wolf, matching the description of a male wolf in the Togo pack.

A male wolf was fitted with a GPS collar in June from the Togo pack. Officials with WDFW received data from the wolf’s collar indicating it was still alive. The collar is equipped with a mortality indicator that sends an email to WDFW wildlife managers when a mortality is detected.

The rancher was checking on his cow herd after the collar data indicated the wolf was near his livestock. Upon searching the area he saw and heard several wolf pups barking and growling. He then shot at the adult male as it approached him while barking. The incident was then reported to the Ferry County Sheriff’s Office, which notified WDFW staff.

The Togo pack has been responsible for six cases of livestock depredation since November, with three cases occurring in August over a 10 day period. This resulted in WDFW pursing lethal action to control the wolf pack under the guidance of the 18-member Wolf Advisory Group lethal removal rule. However, a lawsuit was filed by two activist groups that has halted the kill order until a court hearing on Aug. 31 can determine any further action.

The WDFW says, “Vocalizations by wolves are not uncommon when people approach wolf pups, and adult wolves often attempt to escort perceived intruders away from areas where pups are present. While these behaviors are not necessarily predatory in nature, they can feel threatening.”

An investigation about the shooting is still ongoing.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving the Togo wolf pack in Washington read the following stories:

Washington Wolf Injured After Being Shot by Rancher

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:55 GMT

Wildlife officials in Washington have confirmed a wolf that was shot by a rancher in self-defense has been injured, but it is still mobile.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed that the GPS collared, male wolf was still on the move despite an apparent leg injury. A WDFW wolf biologist and a county wildlife specialist located the wolf and got within 20 yards of the animal on Aug. 27. The biologist said the left rear leg appeared to be broken below the knee. The wolf ran into a wood area just a few seconds after being spotted.

A rancher reportedly shot at the wolf in self-defense on Aug. 23 while the cattle producer was checking on his cow herd. At the time wildlife officials did not believe it had been injured.

The male wolf is a member of the Togo pack which has been responsible for six cases of livestock depredation since November, with three cases occurring in August over a 10 day period. The pack includes at least one adult female and an unknown number of pups born this past year. The female was seen in the same area the night before when it was spotted on a remote trail camera.

The depredation cases resulted in WDFW pursing lethal action to control the wolf pack under the guidance of the 18-member Wolf Advisory Group lethal removal rule. However, a lawsuit was filed by two activist groups that has halted the kill order until a court hearing on Aug. 31 can determine any further action.

WDFW wolf managers believe the male wolf will have a good chance to recover from its injury. The department

According to Capital Press , a rancher who has cattle on a neighboring allotment lost a calf to the wolves in May. Rancher Ron Eslick says the wolves are changing how he’ll graze his cattle as he plans to cut back on the amount of cows he runs.

Mountain lions have proven to be a problem for Eslick as well. He lost two of his sheep to a mountain lion and he opted to sell the remaining five sheep he owned.

“It’s going to get worse. It’s not going to get better. The writing’s on the wall,” Eslick says of the problem with predators in the region.

Eslick’s concerns appear to be warranted as the WDFW reported the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving the Togo wolf pack in Washington read the following stories:

Wolf Pack That Attacked Cows in Washington Won’t Be Euthanized, Yet

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:51 GMT

A wolf pack in northeast Washington has attacked five cattle in the past 10 months and will not be euthanized at the current moment, according to state officials.

The Togo pack located near Danville, Washington is believed to have killed one cow on Aug. 8 and injured a calf on Aug. 9. The two latest attacks are the fifth depredation cases attributed to the Togo pack since November. The first two cases of depredation were documented in November 2017 and another animal was attacked in May.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have yet to decide if the five depredations warrant killing the wolves.

Lethal removal policy for WDFW allows wolves to be killed if they prey on livestock three times in a 30 day period or four times in a 10 month period. The latest attacks would mean the Togo pack has eclipsed the 10 month threshold established by WDFW and its 18-member Wolf Advisory Group in 2016.

Despite no moves made to take lethal action, WDFW is taking steps to monitor the pack more closely with remote cameras and by trapping members of the pack to fit radio-collars on the wolves.

WDFW Director Kelly Susewind says he wants as much information as possible on the developing situation before considering further action regarding the Togo pack.

There is uncertainty as to the number of adult wolves in the pack. In a winter survey there were believed to be at least two adults in the pack and the pair produced an unknown number of pups in the spring. One of the adult males was captured by WDFW on June 8 and fitted with a GPS collar so its location could be shared with livestock producers during the summer grazing season.

In the latest cases of depredation the cow that was killed was left in the location it had been found because it was so remote and rugged. The rancher and range rider who found the cow were not able to locate that cow’s calf, but are continuing to search.

The following day the rancher and range rider removed a calf that had been attacked along with its mother. The calf had bite lacerations to both of the calf’s hamstrings and left flank, and puncture wounds and associated hemorrhaging to the left hindquarter and stomach. The cow had no reported wounds. The cow-calf pair has since been moved to a holding pen for monitoring.

According to a release from WDFW the affected producer has taken a number of measures to deter interactions between wolves and his livestock.

“He delayed turnout until late June so the calves would be larger and used Fox lights on his private pasture to deter wolves. Following turnout, he has removed sick or injured cattle from the allotment and deployed one or more range riders each day to help the producer check the cattle. They have moved the cattle when necessary,” the WDFW says.

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

“We know that some level of conflict is inevitable between wolves and livestock sharing the landscape,” says Ben Maletzke, WDFW statewide wolf specialist. “Our goal is to minimize that conflict as the gray wolf population continues to recover.”

For 2017, WDFW processed two claims for livestock compensation totaling $3,700 in losses to producers. Last year two wolves from the Smackout pack were removed after killing two cattle during the grazing season and showing a history of preying on livestock in 2016. Similarly, one wolf was killed from the Sherman pack after killing four cattle and injuring another in the 2017 grazing season.

A map of the wolf packs in Washington can be viewed below:

Washington Approves Lethal Action on Wolf Pack That Killed Cattle

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:51 GMT

Wildlife officials in Washington are planning to take lethal action against a pack of wolves that have been attacking and killing cattle near the Canadian border.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFA) has authorized field staffers to take lethal measures to remove one or more members of the Togo pack. Since November the Togo pack has been responsible for six separate cases of livestock depredation all involving cattle near the Kettle River Range in northeast Washington.

Three depredations have occurred in the past 30 days according to Donny Martorello, WDFW’s lead wolf manager.

The Togo pack was first suspected in 2016 and was confirmed this year during the annual winter survey. There are believed to be at least two adults and an unknown number of pups. In June, WDFW officials fitted an adult male with a GPS tracking collar.

According to Kelly Susewind, WDFW director, the response by the department is consistent with Washington’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan of 2011. The policy was updated in 2016 by WDFW and its 18-member Wolf Advisory Group to determine lethal removal when wolves prey on livestock three times in a 30 day period or four times in a 10 month period. Both thresholds have been met in the cases involving the Togo pack.

“I have reviewed the pack’s pattern of depredation along with the department’s wolf plan and wolf-livestock interaction protocol, and have concluded this action is warranted,” Susewind says. “The evidence shows that non-lethal measures have not been successful, and the pack will continue preying on livestock unless we take action to change its behavior.”

Under WDFW policy ranchers who sustain losses from wolves must first use at least two approved non-lethal measures to protect their livestock to be considered for an authorization for lethal action.

As reported by Drovers a rancher suffered two cases of depredation earlier in August . A third case reported on Aug. 18 where a 450 lb. calf was attacked prompted the shift in decision making by WDFW.

The rancher who had cattle attacked by the Togo pack took several preventative measures to reduce conflict with his herd. Cattle were kept off summer range until late June when calves would be larger and he also held his cattle at home in a pasture with bright strobe lights to deter wolves. Once the cow-calf pairs were turned out on grass any sick or injured cattle were removed from the grazing allotment. Each day one or more range riders rode through the herd while on summer pasture and cattle were moved when needed to avoid interactions with wolves.

Lethal action to remove the wolves cannot start until after 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, because of a court order that requires the department to provide one business day (8 court hours) advance public notice.

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years. Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

“We know that some level of conflict is inevitable between wolves and livestock sharing the landscape,” says Ben Maletzke, WDFW statewide wolf specialist. “Our goal is to minimize that conflict as the gray wolf population continues to recover.”

For 2017, WDFW processed two claims for livestock compensation totaling $3,700 in losses to producers. Last year two wolves from the Smackout pack were removed after killing two cattle during the grazing season and showing a history of preying on livestock in 2016. Similarly, one wolf was killed from the Sherman pack after killing four cattle and injuring another in the 2017 grazing season.

A map of the wolf packs in Washington can be viewed below:

Lawsuit by Activists Halts Wolf Pack Kill Order in Washington

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:51 GMT

Following a lawsuit by two activists groups, a court has temporarily halted the lethal removal of a wolf pack in Washington that was responsible for killing multiple livestock.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese granted a restraining order filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands on Aug. 20, in the afternoon prior to a 5 p.m. deadline. The two activist groups made the request after Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind authorized the removal order following multiple confirmed livestock depredations . The order would allow one or more wolves to be removed from the pack.

According to the judge the plaintiffs’ complaint met the criteria for a temporary restraining order under the state Administrative Procedures Act. A hearing will be held again in the court on Aug. 31 with WDFW and the plaintiffs for a preliminary injunction, to determine whether to replace the restraining order with a longer-lasting court order.

Since November the Togo pack has been responsible for six separate cases of livestock depredation all involving cattle near the Kettle River Range in northeast Washington. Three of those cases occurred from Aug. 8 to Aug. 18, meeting a threshold of three attacks in 30 days that warrant lethal removal under WDFW policy.

The policy also states that if livestock are preyed on four times within 10 months that lethal removal can be used. The policy was created in 2016 by WDFW with the guidance of its 18-member Wolf Advisory Group . The advisory group includes livestock producers, hunters, conservationists, and representatives from Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation and the Humane Society of the United States. There are no members of the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands on the advisory board.

“It’s outrageous that Washington wildlife officials want to kill more wolves from the state’s small and recovering wolf population,” says Amaroq Weiss, the Center for Biological Diversity’s West Coast wolf advocate. “Washingtonians overwhelmingly want wolves recovered, and current science says that killing wolves to prevent conflict is counterproductive. This isn’t the Old West anymore.”

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

There are two adults confirmed to be in the pack, along with an unknown number of pups. An adult male was fitted with a GPS collar in June to help monitor the pack’s movement.

“The state should not take actions against the public’s wildlife that are counter to best available science nor should it be violating state laws to craft protocols giving itself permission to take these ill-advised actions,” says Nick Cady, legal director at Cascadia Wildlands. “Wolves are part of Washington’s wildlife heritage, and agency management of these magnificent animals should be based on science, follow the law and allow for full public input.”

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another fiver were injured.

“We know that some level of conflict is inevitable between wolves and livestock sharing the landscape,” says Ben Maletzke, WDFW statewide wolf specialist. “Our goal is to minimize that conflict as the gray wolf population continues to recover.”

For 2017, WDFW processed two claims for livestock compensation totaling $3,700 in losses to producers. Last year two wolves from the Smackout pack were removed after killing two cattle during the grazing season and showing a history of preying on livestock in 2016. Similarly, one wolf was killed from the Sherman pack after killing four cattle and injuring another in the 2017 grazing season.

A map of the wolf packs in Washington can be viewed below:

Removal of Wolf Pack Authorized in Washington After 16 Cattle Attacks

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:39 GMT

The lethal removal of a wolf pack in Washington has been approved by wildlife officials following repeated attacks on cattle.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind made a reauthorization for staff members to kill two remaining wolves in the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) pack . The pack has already had two wolves killed in September following a number of livestock depredations. That left an adult female and a juvenile wolf left in the pack that is running through the Kettle River Range of Ferry County.

An evaluation period was enacted by WDFW as part of the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the department’s protocol to determine if the pack was still preying on livestock and if additional lethal measures would be needed.

Three additional attacks by the OPT pack were observed from Oct. 5-11 with calves grazing on U.S. Forest Service allotments being attached. One of the attacks was confirmed to have occurred after the first two wolves were removed.

Additional steps were taken to limit interactions between the cattle and wolves. However, another depredation was observed on Oct. 23 bringing the total number of attacks by the OPT pack to 16 wolf depredations. The last two attacks helped warrant the decision by Susewind under guidance from the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

The impacted rancher had been using range riders to help reduce the likelihood of wolf interactions and is also in the process of removing cattle from the grazing allotment. The cattle were to be removed by Oct. 15, with approximately 90% taken off the allotment by that date. Because of the rugged terrain and dense timber there are still some cattle left to take off the range.

The cattle are being transported via stock trailers to private grazing lands just west of the Kettle Crest. Those pastures are still within outskirts of the OPT packs range and lie on lower elevations which should limit the chance of additional depredations.

The OPT pack runs in a similar territory to a wolf pack called the Profanity Peak pack that was similarly removed after a string of cattle killings in 2016 that resulted in at least 15 dead cattle. At the time there were believed to be a female and three pups remaining in the pack. The kill order came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the removal cost $135,000 and activist groups were outraged with the number of wolves removed .

Earlier this grazing season a male wolf was killed in northern Ferry County after the Togo pack had preyed on livestock six times since November, with three cases happening during a 10 period in August. The Togo pack removal saw backlash from activists groups who sued to stop the kill order . During the waiting period for a court hearing a rancher shot at the male wolf in self-defense , resulting in an injury to the wolf before a final kill order was approved.

According to WDFW the wolf population in Washington has been on the rise for nine straight years . Following the department’s annual winter survey it was determined there are at least 122 wolves, 22 packs and 14 successful breeding pairs in the state. The survey determined that the Togo pack was one of four new packs in the east of the Cascade Mountain range.

In 2017, there were five different wolf packs involved in at least one livestock mortality. During 2017 at least eight cattle were killed while another five were injured.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving wolf packs in Washington read the following stories:

Three More Attacks on Cattle by Washington Wolf Pack

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:23:35 GMT

A Washington wolf pack that had two wolves removed from the pack earlier in the fall has since committed three more cases of livestock depredation.

Officials at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed on Oct. 19 that multiple attacks on cattle occurred by the Old Profanity Territory (OTP) pack from Oct. 5-11. The three additional attacks bring the OTP pack’s depredation total to 15 cases in the past year.

In the latest string of depredations the first attack occurred four days to week before WDFW staff confirmed on Oct. 5 that a calf had been injured by wolves. The calf looked like it had been attacked two separate times by the wolves. One injury to the calf happened within 24 hours of the WDFW staff being alerted while the other was four days to a week prior. The calves had multiple bite lacerations with puncture wounds and tissue damage.

Another calf was confirmed to be attacked by WDFW on Oct. 7 when older, healed injuries were found on the outer right hindquarter and right flank of the calf.

Finally, on Oct. 11 a calf from the same area was viewed by WDFW to have injuries consistent with a wolf attack. The calf had tissue damage and lacerations that appeared to be from an attack two weeks prior.

The attacks found on Oct. 7 and 11 appear to have happened prior to or during the first wolf removals in the OTP pack. The Oct. 5 depredation looks like it was after two wolves had been removed from the OTP pack, this would allow additional wolves from the pack to be removed under the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and WDFW protocol. However, no decisions have been made by Kelly Susewind, WDFW director, regarding additional wolf removals from the OTP pack.

The first wolf to be euthanized from the OTP pack was a juvenile member of the pack that was shot from a helicopter on Sept. 16 . A second wolf was removed from the pack after being killed by a WDFW marksman on Sept. 28 . The second wolf was an adult female wolf believed to be the breeding female. There are believed to be two wolves remaining in the Old Profanity Territory pack, an adult male and a juvenile. WDFW says the pack is still under an evaluation period after the last wolf removal.

The OTP pack is roaming through a U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment that is entirely in the pack’s territory in northeastern Washington. The rancher who had been grazing the allotment with cattle has been using several preventative measures, including:

Using range riders to keep watch over his herd
Calving outside of occupied wolf range
Using foxlights at salting locations in high wolf use areas
Delaying turning out cattle until July 10 – a month later than usual – when calving is finished and the calves are larger and less prone to predation
Removing or securing livestock carcasses to avoid attracting wolves to the rest of the herd
Removing sick and injured livestock from the grazing area

The foxlights have since been removed because the cattle are no longer visiting the salt lick site where the lights were present.

Should WDFW find additional wolf depredations on livestock, Susewind will consider the information in determining whether to initiate another lethal removal action.

For more information about the livestock depredation cases involving wolf packs in Washington read the following stories: