Page 20 - October 2020 WCA Ketch Pen

Red Angus Genetics for Seed Stock Producers & Commercial Cowmen
20
WCA Comments on Recent WDFW Policies
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By Dave Duncan, WRSE Committe Chair
@washingtoncattlemen
I appreciate the opportunity to comment on WDFW’s draft grazing guidance through proposed rule-making. As we’ve previously pointed out, we continue to believe this document needs much greater stakeholder outreach. We understand there are challenges with the current pandemic however, rancher’s livelihoods are at stake.
• We’re disappointed to read in the proposed guidelines that “WDFW prioritizes wolf conservation on its lands”. We don’t believe that currently aligns with the Department’s Wolf Management Plan and we would propose that WDFW make fuel load management on it’s lands a top priority --- which includes grazing as the number one tool.
• Grazing allowed on WDFW lands needs to be economically feasible for ranchers to support the rural economy. We recommend this guidance and these tools take in to account economic viability factors for ranchers to continue to graze their cattle on these lands ---- including taking in to account that the cattle themselves are a management tool of the resources.
• Page 31 includes a Grazing Evaluation Framework Worksheet – It’s quite extensive and we have concerns that managers are already overburdened and that more and more paperwork takes them away from important work on the ground with producers.
• The proposed grazing guidance puts all of the onus to control depredations on the rancher, but severely limits their tools to do so. We would like to see WDFW also take an active role in managing the wolves on their lands.
WCA appreciates the effort on this from the department. However, we do believe these guidelines need continued work and additional stakeholder input and review. We are ready and willing to help in this effort. In fact, the WCA maintains it’s longstanding offer of ranch land tours to the Lands Division leadership team so they have the opportunity to work with stakeholders first hand on these issues.
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