On Jan. 10, 2020, Judge John McHale dismissed two claims against the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), filed in August 2019, that alleged WDFW violated the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Those claims - filed by petitioners John Huskinson, Genevieve Jaquez-Schumacher, and Tim Coleman - alleged that the Department was required to conduct a threshold environmental determination and develop a supplemental environmental impact statement before issuing the 2017 wolf-livestock interaction protocol and lethal removal authorizations challenged in the case.
Following the dismissal of those claims, the petitioners filed a partial motion for reconsideration of the judge’s Jan. 10 order. On Feb. 20, Judge McHale granted the partial motion for reconsideration and indicated that he is willing to re-hear the arguments in the context of a different kind of motion.
“We appreciate the Court’s continued diligence in studying the issue,” said Donny Martorello, wolf policy lead for WDFW. “WDFW looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively and inclusively through decisions impacting wolves and livestock.”
