Bill > SB5590

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program allowing livestock owners or their employees to take (kill) the first wolf that returns to a site where wolf predation of livestock has occurred. Under the program, after a wolf kills livestock, the owner or their designated representative can monitor the site and shoot the first wolf that returns, with the requirement that they report the killing to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife within 24 hours and surrender the wolf carcass to the department. The bill amends existing wildlife protection laws to ensure that such wolf-killing actions under this pilot program would not be considered unlawful taking of endangered wildlife. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is required to report to legislative committees by December 1, 2028, about the pilot program's effectiveness, and the entire program is set to expire on July 1, 2029. This legislation appears aimed at providing a potential solution for livestock owners dealing with wolf predation while also collecting data on the approach's impact.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5590&Year=2025&Initiative=false