OLYMPIA, Wash. – Rep. Andrew Engell (R-Colville) is pushing a bill that proposes to reclassify gray wolves from “endangered” to “sensitive” status.
The current classification of gray wolves as endangered was established due to their risk of extinction.
However, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife suggests that the species is now vulnerable, which warrants a “sensitive” classification instead, according to language in HB 1311.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in 2011, outlining recovery objectives for the species. The plan requires either 15 successful breeding pairs for three consecutive years or 18 successful breeding pairs, distributed across designated recovery regions, for delisting.
The department’s recommendation follows these criteria, according to the bill’s analysis by the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
The state will not be able to reclassify gray wolves as endangered again until a new review is proposed.
