Fish and Wildlife appointee draws fire
NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
SPOKANE, Wash. — The appointment of an Eastern Washington environmentalist to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has upset some rural officials, who say their small-town values are unfairly being pushed aside in favor of big-city views about what's best for nature.
Okanogan County commissioners this week sent a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire complaining that Jay Kehne does not reflect their opinions, in part because he supports the continued protection of wolves in the region. Kehne works for Conservation Northwest, a Bellingham-based environmental group that also supports continued government protection of wolves.
"We believe a conflict of interest does exist," Okanogan County commissioners said in their letter, which was also sent to state Sen. Brian Hatfield D-Raymond, whose Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee has the power to remove Kehne from his new position.
Kehne, a longtime resident of Eastern Washington, said there is no conflict of interest in being an environmentalist and a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission."I was chosen for my credentials," said Kehne, a wildlife biologist. He said he will not resign from the commission, to which he was appointed in early December.Kehne is one of three representatives from Eastern Washington on the nine-member commission."It is an Eastern Washington position, not an Okanogan County position," he said.
The job of a Fish and Wildlife commissioner is to look at the best science possible and make a good decision for wildlife, he said. Politics and one's place of employment should not be involved, he said.
"Everybody works for somebody," Kehne said. "I've got degrees in wildlife biology and soil science and have had jobs for 31 years across Eastern Washington and California."
But State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, said politics play a part. The commission has plenty of urban representation, as most of the commissioners hail from populous Western Washington, he said.
The three positions from Eastern Washington should better reflect the values of rural areas, Kretz said.
"Those three Eastern Washington positions should put some diversity in there, rather than the same thing people in Seattle and Olympia are thinking," Kretz said.
Kretz said rural residents have the most contact and assume many of the costs of dealing with wildlife.
"I've got deer in my haystack right now," Kretz said.
Conservation Northwest issued a statement last week saying Kehne was an outstanding choice for commissioner."The Governor appointed Jay to the commission to represent himself," the group said.
"Conservation Northwest is disappointed that some politicians have reacted to Jay's appointment in ways that generate only heat, not light, to public discussion," the group said. "Where people disagree on important issues, including tough ones like wolf recovery, the best approach is civil and informed dialogue, not personal attacks."
The letter from the commissioners to Hatfield accused Kehne of being disrespectful to people who want gray wolves removed from endangered species protection.In fact, Kehne is dismissive of the county's push to delist wolves in the county, saying the attempt is pointless."It can't and won't happen," Kehne said.
Trying to get him removed from the commission in favor of someone who supports hunting of wolves is also a bad idea, he said.
He noted the state's recently released wolf management plan was unanimously adopted by the commission, indicating it was based on science."Politicians in Okanogan County want to get stuck in the past and not have wolves," Kehne said.
Kehne also rejected the notion that Conservation Northwest was a radical group, noting that they were working on ways to help ranchers co-exist with wolves, and trying to develop more wildlife corridors so there are fewer collisions between deer and motor vehicles.
"These aren't radical environmental things," he said.
"We believe a conflict of interest does exist," Okanogan County commissioners said in their letter, which was also sent to state Sen. Brian Hatfield D-Raymond, whose Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee has the power to remove Kehne from his new position.
Kehne, a longtime resident of Eastern Washington, said there is no conflict of interest in being an environmentalist and a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission."I was chosen for my credentials," said Kehne, a wildlife biologist. He said he will not resign from the commission, to which he was appointed in early December.Kehne is one of three representatives from Eastern Washington on the nine-member commission."It is an Eastern Washington position, not an Okanogan County position," he said.
The job of a Fish and Wildlife commissioner is to look at the best science possible and make a good decision for wildlife, he said. Politics and one's place of employment should not be involved, he said.
"Everybody works for somebody," Kehne said. "I've got degrees in wildlife biology and soil science and have had jobs for 31 years across Eastern Washington and California."
But State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, said politics play a part. The commission has plenty of urban representation, as most of the commissioners hail from populous Western Washington, he said.
The three positions from Eastern Washington should better reflect the values of rural areas, Kretz said.
"Those three Eastern Washington positions should put some diversity in there, rather than the same thing people in Seattle and Olympia are thinking," Kretz said.
Kretz said rural residents have the most contact and assume many of the costs of dealing with wildlife.
"I've got deer in my haystack right now," Kretz said.
Conservation Northwest issued a statement last week saying Kehne was an outstanding choice for commissioner."The Governor appointed Jay to the commission to represent himself," the group said.
"Conservation Northwest is disappointed that some politicians have reacted to Jay's appointment in ways that generate only heat, not light, to public discussion," the group said. "Where people disagree on important issues, including tough ones like wolf recovery, the best approach is civil and informed dialogue, not personal attacks."
The letter from the commissioners to Hatfield accused Kehne of being disrespectful to people who want gray wolves removed from endangered species protection.In fact, Kehne is dismissive of the county's push to delist wolves in the county, saying the attempt is pointless."It can't and won't happen," Kehne said.
Trying to get him removed from the commission in favor of someone who supports hunting of wolves is also a bad idea, he said.
He noted the state's recently released wolf management plan was unanimously adopted by the commission, indicating it was based on science."Politicians in Okanogan County want to get stuck in the past and not have wolves," Kehne said.
Kehne also rejected the notion that Conservation Northwest was a radical group, noting that they were working on ways to help ranchers co-exist with wolves, and trying to develop more wildlife corridors so there are fewer collisions between deer and motor vehicles.
"These aren't radical environmental things," he said.
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Hearing Tuesday In Oly On ‘Mammalian Apex Predators’ Bill
By Andy Walgamott
A bill addressing "mammalian apex predators" -- read wolves -- will get a public hearing before lawmakers in Olympia this Tuesday, Jan. 10, at noon.
A digest of HB 2214 says it:
Requires the fish and wildlife commission to:
(1) Consider any petitions for removing a species from classification or changing the classification of the species on a regional basis, for mammalian apex predators only, if the commission has listed a species statewide as endangered, threatened, or sensitive; and
(2) Suspend any management plan or planning process, under certain circumstances, for a mammalian apex predator species listed as endangered, threatened, or sensitive.
The bill was drawn up by Rep. David Taylor of the Yakima Valley, is cosponsored by Reps Bruce Chandler, Joel Kretz, Kelly Short, Brian Blake and Dean Takko -- four Republicans and two Democrats, respectively -- and was prefiled Dec. 20.
While neither the bill nor WACs define mammalian apex predators, 2214's clearly meant for Canis lupus.
"I think there's a lot of anger about the wolf plan that's been adopted and its impact on Washington state hunters," says Blake, an Aberdeen-based hunter who represents all of Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties as well as parts of Grays Harbor and Cowlitz Counties.
He himself is "frustrated" and "strongly opposes" the conservation and management plan, unanimously approved at this time last month by the Fish & Wildlife Commission.
"I think 15 breeding pairs is excessive and unsustainable on the landscape," Blake says.
The wolf plan requires that those pairs be spread across three recovery regions of the state in certain numbers for three straight years before delisting from state protections can occur, a clause that is not that popular among some in Northeast Washington where two-thirds of the state's 27 known wolves and two of 2011's three successful breeding pairs exist.
The bill adds new sections to RCW 77.12.020:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.
(1) For mammalian apex predators only, if the commission has listed a species statewide as endangered, threatened, or sensitive in Washington under RCW 77.12.020, it must consider any petitions for removing a species from classification under RCW 77.12.020, or changing the classification of the species, on a regional basis.
(2) Regional changes to the listing status of a mammalian apex predator must be based on the biological status of the species in the proposed region, given the preponderance of scientific data available. However, the commission must consider the parallel federal endangered species act status of the species in question for the region where a change in status is petitioned.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.
(1) The fish and wildlife commission must suspend any management plan or planning process for a mammalian apex predator species listed as endangered, threatened, or sensitive in Washington under RCW 77.12.020 if the species in question is not listed as endangered under the federal endangered species act for the entirety of the state of Washington's land mass.
(2) The suspension of any management plan affected by this section may not be lifted unless the fish and wildlife commission amends the plan to be consistent with any regional changes in species status petitioned for under section 2 of this act.
A poster on Hunting Washington termed the bill "great," and said, "I don't think anyone is going to beat the 'non-native' drum, they're going to push for management in Eastern WA sooner than they would have otherwise. This bill could be a wonderful thing for NE washington!!"
Blake says he looks forward to the hearing, which will be before the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources, House Hearing Room A, John L. O'Brien Building, at 12 p.m.
Among those likely to attend, Conservation Northwest, which expects more similar wolf-related bills in the future.
Blake chairs the committee, and in December 2010, he had WDFW Director Phil Anderson appear before it to talk about wolves.
Hearing Tuesday In Oly On ‘Mammalian Apex Predators’ Bill
By Andy Walgamott
A bill addressing "mammalian apex predators" -- read wolves -- will get a public hearing before lawmakers in Olympia this Tuesday, Jan. 10, at noon.
A digest of HB 2214 says it:
Requires the fish and wildlife commission to:
(1) Consider any petitions for removing a species from classification or changing the classification of the species on a regional basis, for mammalian apex predators only, if the commission has listed a species statewide as endangered, threatened, or sensitive; and
(2) Suspend any management plan or planning process, under certain circumstances, for a mammalian apex predator species listed as endangered, threatened, or sensitive.
The bill was drawn up by Rep. David Taylor of the Yakima Valley, is cosponsored by Reps Bruce Chandler, Joel Kretz, Kelly Short, Brian Blake and Dean Takko -- four Republicans and two Democrats, respectively -- and was prefiled Dec. 20.
While neither the bill nor WACs define mammalian apex predators, 2214's clearly meant for Canis lupus.
"I think there's a lot of anger about the wolf plan that's been adopted and its impact on Washington state hunters," says Blake, an Aberdeen-based hunter who represents all of Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties as well as parts of Grays Harbor and Cowlitz Counties.
He himself is "frustrated" and "strongly opposes" the conservation and management plan, unanimously approved at this time last month by the Fish & Wildlife Commission.
"I think 15 breeding pairs is excessive and unsustainable on the landscape," Blake says.
The wolf plan requires that those pairs be spread across three recovery regions of the state in certain numbers for three straight years before delisting from state protections can occur, a clause that is not that popular among some in Northeast Washington where two-thirds of the state's 27 known wolves and two of 2011's three successful breeding pairs exist.
The bill adds new sections to RCW 77.12.020:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.
(1) For mammalian apex predators only, if the commission has listed a species statewide as endangered, threatened, or sensitive in Washington under RCW 77.12.020, it must consider any petitions for removing a species from classification under RCW 77.12.020, or changing the classification of the species, on a regional basis.
(2) Regional changes to the listing status of a mammalian apex predator must be based on the biological status of the species in the proposed region, given the preponderance of scientific data available. However, the commission must consider the parallel federal endangered species act status of the species in question for the region where a change in status is petitioned.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.
(1) The fish and wildlife commission must suspend any management plan or planning process for a mammalian apex predator species listed as endangered, threatened, or sensitive in Washington under RCW 77.12.020 if the species in question is not listed as endangered under the federal endangered species act for the entirety of the state of Washington's land mass.
(2) The suspension of any management plan affected by this section may not be lifted unless the fish and wildlife commission amends the plan to be consistent with any regional changes in species status petitioned for under section 2 of this act.
A poster on Hunting Washington termed the bill "great," and said, "I don't think anyone is going to beat the 'non-native' drum, they're going to push for management in Eastern WA sooner than they would have otherwise. This bill could be a wonderful thing for NE washington!!"
Blake says he looks forward to the hearing, which will be before the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources, House Hearing Room A, John L. O'Brien Building, at 12 p.m.
Among those likely to attend, Conservation Northwest, which expects more similar wolf-related bills in the future.
Blake chairs the committee, and in December 2010, he had WDFW Director Phil Anderson appear before it to talk about wolves.
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