Wolves Need Your Help at WDFW Public Meeting Jan. 16, 2013 from 6-8 PM

"The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting three public meetings this week to discuss gray wolf recovery and management. It's important that they hear from Washington state residents who support wolf recovery.

This is your chance to show your support for wolves and to ask the Department to avoid losing more packs under circumstances like those that led to the killing of the Wedge pack last summer.

Please Join Us At One of These Meetings

1. January 16th – Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 PM
2. January 17th – Office Building #2, at 14th Ave. and Jefferson St., Olympia, 2:30-5 PM
3. January 18th – Magnuson Park's Garden Room, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 6-8 PM

Please plan on attending if you can. Participants will be able to submit questions to a panel of experts.

Tell the state officials:

• The Department needs to focus on nonlethal deterrents to reduce wolf and livestock conflicts.
• The state should manage wolves according to the 2012 Washington Wolf Management Plan, which was created through broad public involvement.
• The Plan acknowledges that wolves are a rare and endangered species in Washington and deserve greater tolerance and consideration than more common species while their population level is so low.
• As directed by the Plan, while wolf numbers are so low, they should be managed under the state's Endangered Species Division and not as Big Game.

Wolf opponents may be present in force demanding that more wolves are killed. It's urgent that Washington wolf-lovers who support responsible wolf conservation be well represented.

We look forward to seeing you this week!"

Suzanne Asha Stone
Northern Rockies Representative
Defenders of Wildlife