Morton encourages citizens to complete WDFW online survey on new director
Candidates to be reviewed at Colville meeting August 6-8

Olympia…Sen. Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls, is encouraging  hunters, fishers and ranchers to go online to the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s website to complete a survey on what the commissioners should be looking for in a new director for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Jeff Koenings left the post last year after 10 years; Phil Anderson has been serving as interim director since December. 

The commission will review the qualifications of the applicants at a meeting scheduled for August 6-8 in Colville at the Sheriff’s Ambulance Training Center, 425 North Highway. Check this site for agenda/times: http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/
meetings.html or call 360-902-2267.

Information about public testimony at commission meetings is provided on the commission’s website at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/public_input.html. 

“The commission needs to hear from people who have ideas or concerns about how the department is managed,” Morton said. “We need a good leader – someone who can work cooperatively with the commission to develop and implement wildlife management plans that ensure fish and game opportunities for future generations and who understands the impact of wildlife on farmers and ranchers.” 

Morton said with the return of wolves to Washington, it is critical that the department’s policies reflect a concern for loss of crops and livestock. 

“Department biologists recently caught remote camera images of a new breeding pair of wolves in Pend Oreille County,” Morton said. “Last year, a breeding pair with pups was confirmed in Okanogan County and a road-killed wolf from the Alberta/northern Montana wolf population was found in Stevens County. 

“These animals normally feed on elk, deer and moose, but as Washington’s wolf population returns, the killing of livestock, poultry and pets is inevitable. 

“The new director needs to be on the front line when it comes to how we deal with these four-legged immigrants.”  

Morton is the ranking Republican member on the Senate committee dealing with natural resource and wildlife issues. He sponsored legislation calling on the federal government to increase resources for landowner assistance and investigation of wolf depredation reports as wolf management is turned over to the state. 

Morton has also introduced legislation to prohibit the breeding of wolf-hybrids through the mating of domesticated dogs and wolves – a dangerous combination because wolves avoid humans, but hybrids have a complicated response that is unfair to the animal and unsafe for people. 

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Additional contact: Penny Drost (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov

Complete WDFW survey at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/