(Columbia County, WA) This is an update for the Columbia pack following the lethal removal authorization by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Director, Kelly Susewind, on Jan. 6.
On Jan. 6, 2025, WDFW Director Kelly Susewind authorized the lethal removal of up to two wolves from the Columbia pack territory in response to repeated depredations of cattle in Columbia County. The authorization is consistent with the guidance of the state’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (PDF) and the lethal removal provisions of the Department’s wolf-livestock interaction protocol (PDF).
On Jan. 13, 2025, WDFW staff lethally removed a yearling female and an adult male from the Columbia wolf pack. With this removal, the lethal removal authorization has expired, and an evaluation period has started.
If WDFW documents additional livestock depredations indicating a renewed pattern of depredation, WDFW may initiate another lethal removal action following the guidelines of the Wolf Plan and wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
