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KETCHUM – The Ketchum City County unanimously
 passed a resolution Monday in support of wildlife
 co-existence. This means city leaders are taking a
stance against lethal means to manage wolves in the
 Wood River Valley.
During his 2014 State of the State Address, Gov.
 Butch Otter called for $2 million in wolf management
 funds to be used to form a wolf depredation control
 board to scale down the predator population.
Those in Ketchum don't want to see that board use 
lethal actions when it comes to livestock and wolves
 in Blaine County.
Ketchum Mayor Nina Jonas told KTVB about the
reasons behind the resolution. In February of 2014,
 the city approved an update to their comprehensive
plan. One of the top values in that plan, according
 to Jonas, is wildlife stewardship.
"In this community we care about those values and
 bio diversity, and also the efforts of the Wood River
 Wild Project," said Jonas.
The Wood River Wolf Project was started in 2007.
 Ranchers, environmentalists and biologists have
since been working together to find and implement
alternatives to killing wolves. It includes flagging,
 sound devices, even guard dogs, and those with
the project have said its working, with sheep kills down.
However, what does a resolution really mean
 because the city of Ketchum has no jurisdiction over
 how the wolf is managed in the state?
"Wolf management is under state and federal control,
so as a resolution it's acknowledging that we have no
real authority over this, but it's a statement and we
 hope the governor will hear it," said Jonas. "There
 is a way to co-habitate and co-exist with an apex
 predator like the wolf, there are ways to manage
it without taking their population down just above
 the endangered species listing."
Public affairs specialist Carol Bannerman with Idaho
 Wildlife Services explained in a statement how the
 agency responds to livestock and wolf conflicts.
"WS biologists and specialists recommend non-letha
l options but also can conduct control actions when
requested and when approved by a wolf-management
 agency. Wildlife Services has recommended many
tools including fencing, protection dogs, and so forth.
 For example, WS is currently conducting research
on the potential of larger breeds as livestock guard
 dogs in areas with high wolf population. One study
 project is in Blaine County. The Wildlife Services
research center developed the electronic guard, a
 sound and light deterrent for predators, and for
 many years was the major source for it before it
became commercially available."
Jonas said for a community like Ketchum and the
 Sun Valley this resolution is important because
 the area's economy depends on tourism.
"There is a war on wolves in the Huffington Post,
and there is national attention on this extreme
management technique, and that is bad for us
because we are an economy that depends on
 attracting people to our community," she said.
Ketchum is the first community in Idaho to
 adopt such a resolution.