The state House on Wednesday approved legislation that creates a legislative work group to study the best way to meet state targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

Gov. Jay Inslee and his staff actively lobbied for Senate Bill 5802, which would set a framework to achieve emission goals set by lawmakers in 2008: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035.

The governor’s office would contract with an “independent and objective” group to evaluate approaches to reduce emissions. The state estimates that the study and related expenses would cost $350,000.

The measure passed by a vote of 61-32. Republicans who voted against the bill said the measure lacked protections for consumers and manufacturers who depend on stable energy prices.

“The wind doesn’t blow 360 days a year, it’s not predictable. And the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day whereas many forms of energy we have out there right now that are clean, such as hydro and nuclear, are completely predictable,” said Rep. Brad Klippert (R-Kennewick).

During testimony before the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee last month, Inslee said  inaction on carbon pollution could cost Washington’s economy $10 billion by 2020.

The Senate passed the bill earlier this month on a bi-partisan vote of 37-12. The bill now heads to the governor for his signature.

John Stevie told lawmakers his dog was attacked by a wolf earlier this month on the back porch of his home near Twisp. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Legislature)

The debate continued Wednesday over a measure allowing livestock and pet owners to kill endangered gray wolves without a permit when the wolves are attacking their animals.

A coalition of commissioners from Okanogan, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties traveled to Olympia to deliver a stern message in front of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

“Will we act as county commissioners if you fail to? I will make that choice to act because we can’t wait any longer,” said Stevens County Commissioner Wes McCart. “The ability to protect your life, your family, your food, your pets – to me this is one of the Constitutional rights that we have and under the law. If you shoot a wolf without a permit right now, you will go to jail or pay a fine or both. This is wrong.”

Under current law, the penalty for killing a wolf without a permit is a gross misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class C felony for the second offense, which could result in a $5,000 fine or a year in jail.

The commissioners say they have collectively agreed to file a state of emergency and take care of the problem themselves if the Legislature doesn’t approve Senate Bill 5187.

Lawmakers also heard from John Stevie, whose Siberian Husky was attacked by a wolf last week in the backyard of his home near Twisp. Stevie brought the dog, Shelby, to Olympia on Wednesday to illustrate the risk posed to his pets and family.

Photo courtesy of the Washington State Legislature

“I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I pulled the doors open and about two feet from me as I stepped out onto the deck, this wolf he was 100 pounds plus … it had her by the head on the porch,” Stevie said. “What’s it gonna take here? We have no rights to do anything. We can’t protect ourselves. We can’t protect our animals. Whether this bill goes through or not, I’m not going to let this happen again.”

Opponents of the measure told the committee the bill would hurt the state’s wolf recovery efforts after years of work went into the state’s wolf plan.

“We believe it undermines the balance of the conversation and management plan. People already have the ability under the plan to kill wolves caught in the act of killing livestock by asking landowners to acquire a permit when they see a problem developing,” said Jasmine Minbashian with Conservation Northwest.

The committee did not take action on the bill.

Gov. Jay Inslee

Gov. Jay Inlsee on Tuesday urged legislators to act on climate change by approving a measure that would authorize the state to hire an outside organization to develop recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“I believe we should be optimistic we can whip climate change. I believe we should be confident that we can solve ocean acidification and I think we should be resolute that we can grow our economy at the same time,” Inslee said before the House Environment Committee.

The governor appeared before lawmakers to lobby for House Bill 1915, which also creates a working group made up of legislators tasked with studying climate change policy. The group would offer recommendations to the Legislature by the end of 2013.

The legislation would set a framework to achieve emission goals set by lawmakers in 2008: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035. The governor’s office would contract with an “independent and objective” group to evaluate approaches to reduce emissions. The state estimates that the study and related expenses would cost $350,000.

Brandon Houskeeper with the Association of Washington Business told the committee stricter emissions rules could hurt the state’s business community.

“Adopting additional carbon emission strategies in Washington will lead to additional costs and a competitive disadvantage for numerous industries,” he said.

An amended version of the bill passed out of the Senate Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee last week.

Inslee said the Legislature can’t afford to wait on climate change and stalling could end up costing the state $10 billion a year by 2020.

“I believe it’s our destiny to lead the world in clean energy, but to do that we have to have some action,” he said.

The management of gray wolves in Washington continued to stir debate among ranchers, state wildlife officials and wolf advocates during a House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday.

One of the more controversial bills would give ranchers more power to kill wolves that attack livestock. The bill sponsored by Shelly Short (R-Addy) would “allow an owner of livestock to kill a mammalian predator, regardless of state classification.”

A similar bill has been proposed in the Senate.

“If you own animals, you are at risk. It really leaves my folks back home with limited help,” Short said.

There are currently eight confirmed packs and three more suspected packs in Eastern Washington, according to state wildlife officials.

Dave Ware with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife told lawmakers he’s concerned the bill would confuse livestock owners and put protected species like grizzly bears and lynx at risk. In late 2011, the state adopted a comprehensive wolf conservation and management plan, which requires state-issued permits to kill wolves that attack livestock after non-lethal methods are exhausted.

Bill McIrvin, who runs Diamond M Ranch in the far northeastern part of the state where state officials killed off a pack last September, said the bill is about keeping ranching communities alive.

“Our ranch has been in business for a long time,” he said. “We never had significant problems until the wolves. If we can not protect our property, we are no longer living in a free country.”

Another bill, sponsored by Joel Kretz (R-Wauconda), would force the state to follow the same listing guidelines as the federal government. Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered under state law throughout Washington, and under federal law in the western two-thirds of the state.

“We are looking at a number of years before delisting,” he said. “Potentially waiting another 10 or 20 years before we have the management tools to deal with it isn’t going to work.”

Kretz also criticized the state’s wolf plan, saying it does not account for the potential of an uncontrollable population of wolves in Eastern Washington.

“I think wolf supporters should be concerned about the potential of one small area ending up with 20 or 30 wolf packs. We are going to have a complete backlash. What I am hearing is shoot, shovel and shut up,” he said.

The committee took no action on the bills Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The debate over gray wolf management in Washington landed in the Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee on Tuesday as lawmakers heard testimony on a pair of bills that would give ranchers and county officials more power to kill wolves that attack livestock.

The bills come just months after the state Department of Fish and Wildlife killed off a pack in the northeastern part of the state because of livestock attacks.

Senate Bill 5187 would allow livestock owners, their family and employees to kill “mammalian predators” without permission if their livestock is attacked.

Under Senate Bill 5188, county law enforcement officials would be permitted to kill wolves that pose an imminent threat to livestock if certain conditions are met – two attacks on livestock by a wolf pack or if a pattern of attacks threatens a livestock operation.

The sponsor of both bills, Sen. John Smith (R-Colville), told the committee livestock owners should have the right to protect their animals.

“We are looking to defend our God-given right to defend our property,” Smith said. “The intention is not to declare open season on wolves.”

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Photo courtesy of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Three meetings are scheduled this week around the state to discuss the recovery and management of the state’s gray wolf population.

The reintroduction of wolves has been a hot topic in the northeastern part of the state, where the Department of Fish and Wildlife killed off a pack last year because of attacks on livestock.

The elimination of the pack has led to debate among legislators about the future of wolf management.

Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, told the Capitol Press he plans to propose legislation to relocate wolves into Western Washington closer to their supporters.

“When there’s problems with wolves in one part of the state, they could be re-located to another part of the state that really should be able to share the benefits of wolves,” said Kretz told the paper.

Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, who has expressed concern over the pack’s elimination, has promised to call a hearing on the pack’s elimination in the Senate’s Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee.

Wildlife officials have said there must be 15 breeding pairs of wolves among three state regions for three years before the state can delist gray wolves as an endangered species.

There are currently eight confirmed wolf packs in the state.

“Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views,” WDFW game manager Dave Ware said in a news release.

The public meetings are scheduled for Wednesday in Spokane Valley, Thursday in Olympia, and Friday in Seattle.