Wolves in Washington

This event is hosted by the North Cascades Institute

Wolves are a keystone predator that plays a valuable and important role in the health of our ecosystems. After nearly being eradicated in the early 1900s, the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a native Washington species, has naturally returned to our state. A wolf pack with pups was confirmed in July 2008 in western Okanogan and northern Chelan counties and represented the first fully documented breeding by wolves in the state since the 1930s! Since then, the state’s wolf population has increased at an average rate of around 25% every year – 16% in 2021 – and many other wolf packs have been confirmed.

In the latest annual census of wolves in Washington State, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reports the following good news for wolf recovery:

• Washington has a minimum of 206 wolves in the state at the end of 2021, compared to 178 in 2020, and 19 breeding pairs in 2021, compared to 16 in 2020.
• Four new wolf packs were formed, including a new one in the North Cascades south of Lake Chelan (Shady Pass).
• There are four breeding pairs in the North Cascades recovery region for two years in a row, which is an important step toward meeting recovery goals.
• Evidence from a collared wolf of consistent residency in the South Cascades may indicate or lead to an established pack this year.

Join us for a Zoom presentation with biologists from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Wolf Advisory Group. They will share an overview of the status of wolves in the state, provide updates on current wolf packs and take questions too.

Participants will learn how they can stay updated, get involved, and how the Washington Wolf Advisory Group is working to promote equitable, inclusive, and respectful dialogue and decision-making among diverse people to foster durable peace by transforming the root causes of social conflict and providing high quality recommendations on wolf recovery, conservation, and management.

To learn more information and to register click here.