[treeswarper]

I've done a few days of volunteer work in the Bothe Napa State Park. From what I heard, it's hard to do anything that might be controversial. Lately, they have been allowed to do some controlled burns, but the place is ripe for an uncontrolled fire and I think that has happened in places. There are redwoods growing there, along with all the other stuff. Poison Oak is a major species. I worked in fear that my "immunity" would wear off. The place has taken a beating from the storms this year according to reports some of us get. Haven't noticed much deer in that area. But I wasn't looking for them and we were noisily cutting stuff. That area gives me culture shock. Too much money running around.

[timberghost]

The leading natural cause of death for wolves is other wolves. Smith says protected wolves in Yellowstone still have a 20% mortality rate because they are fiercely territorial.

[altasnob]

For the 15th consecutive year, the wolf population in Washington has grown, according to a survey published Saturday by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The minimum number of reported wolves in Washington increased to 260 in 2023 and included 42 packs with 26 successful breeding pairs that produced at least two pups. The growth represents a slightly more than 20% increase from the 2022 population of 216. Most of the growth was in Eastern Washington, where the majority of wolves reside. The region had 209 wolves in 33 packs with 20 breeding pairs. Most of those are concentrated in the northeast corner of the state, but the number of packs in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington also grew. The state’s wolf population had a 23% growth rate from 2008-23. There was a 14% mortality rate among wolves last year, totaling 36 deaths. Of the wolf deaths, four are under investigation, one wolf was hit by a car, one was killed by a cougar and 22 were legally harvested by tribal hunters. According to the survey, 21% of the known packs in Washington were involved in at least one confirmed livestock death or mortality. The department paid $28,596 in livestock loss claims and $31,602 for lethal removal operations in response to depredations on livestock. In total, the department spent $1,611,412 in 2023 on wolf management activities.

[timberghost]

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/04/16/oregon-wolf-population-plateaus-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-a-decade/