Bill
SB 5343
Expands the Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Account to fund wolf-livestock management, and grants for local sheriffs to aid WDFW, through 7/1/2031.
Overview
- Bill: SB 5343 (as amended and enacted)
- Title: An act relating to the Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Account
- Introduced: January 17, 2025
- Final status: Signed into law May 12, 2025; Chapter 247, 2025 Laws
- Effective date: July 27, 2025 (90 days after adjournment)
- Expiration: The bill creates an expiration for the changes to July 1, 2031
Purpose and intent
- The bill expands the allowable uses of the Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Account through July 1, 2031.
- Specifically authorizes funds for wolf-livestock management and for grants to the sheriffs’ offices of Stevens and Ferry counties to provide a local wildlife specialist to assist the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in wolf management.
- Establishes that expenditures from the Account may be used only for the enumerated purposes and requires the director, in consultation with the advisory board, to authorize expenditures.
Key provisions
- Amended uses through 7/1/2031:
- Deployment of nonlethal wolf deterrence resources (existing use)
- Wolf-livestock management (new authorized use)
- Grants to Stevens and Ferry counties’ sheriffs for a local wildlife specialist aiding WDFW
- Governance and funding:
- The Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Account remains a nonappropriated account administered by the state treasurer, with receipts including appropriations, donations, and other sources deposited into the account.
- Expenditures require authorization by the director in consultation with an advisory board (four-member board, historically advising WSDA on Account expenditures).
- Interest earned stays in the account; expenditures use allotment procedures but do not require a separate appropriation.
- The amendment clarifies that expenditures are limited to the specified purposes (“only for” rather than “for” all uses) and adds the expiration date.
- No new appropriation is created by the bill itself.
Effective date and timeline
- Effective 90 days after adjournment of the session (the law’s effective date is stated as July 27, 2025).
- Expiration provision: The changes to allowable uses expire on July 1, 2031, unless further action is taken.
Background and context
- The Account was created in 2017 and is administered by WSDA, with a four-member advisory board.
- Previously used for nonlethal deterrence and relevant wolf management activities east of the Cascade crest.
- Amendments were developed to codify and restrict uses, while adding targeted funding to support local wildlife expertise in Stevens and Ferry counties.
Public and stakeholder perspectives
- Supporters: Emphasize enhanced nonlethal management and the value of a local wildlife specialist to improve communication between ranchers, counties, WSDA, and WDFW.
- Opponents: Concern that broader “wolf-livestock management” could imply lethal deterrence, and worry about shifting authority to county sheriffs without wildlife expertise; call for nonlethal approaches and clearer definitions.
Affected parties
- State: WSDA (administrative framework) and WDFW (wolf management coordination)
- Local governments: Stevens and Ferry counties (sheriffs’ offices)
- Local residents and ranchers in northeast Washington with wolf-livestock interactions
Notes
- The bill’s amendments were reflected in the enacted version and are effective through 2031, with a clear statutory framework for account administration and expenditure limits.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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