Illegal mole traps pulled from Capitol lawns

Olympia: Lawmaker says use demonstrates double standard

BRAD SHANNON; Staff writer | • Published February 03, 2010

Comments (0)

Groundskeepers at the Capitol stopped using illegal body-gripping traps to capture and kill moles after receiving complaints, and a Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation into the practice began Tuesday morning.

• For details on moles and state rules on mole control, go to wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/moles.htm#legal.

Voters approved Initiative 713 in 2000, outlawing the use of body-gripping traps, including mole traps.Violating the law is a misdemeanor, but Fish and Wildlife enforcement chief Bruce Bjork said no citation likely will be issued in this case, which involves the Department of General Administration.

GA spokesman Steve Valandra said groundskeepers have used five to 10 of the illegal traps on campus lawns, including at the Governor’s Mansion, for a few years – apparently unaware of the law. They’ve since pulled out the traps but will consider getting permits to use legal traps, he said.

Republican state Rep. Joel Kretz of Wauconda brought the issue to light late Monday, taking pictures of two mole traps set into a grassy strip near the Capitol’s greenhouse. He said it showed a double standard he often has seen in Olympia: “Do as I say, not as I do.”

“The irony is, if I’ve got coyotes killing my sheep, I can’t put a trap out. But if you’ve got a mole on the Capitol Campus, you can,’’ Kretz said, suggesting there is a need to change the law so people protecting their property and crops from animal damage can use traps for that purpose.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Craig Bartlett said the agency has tried to change the law, without success.

“There have been a number of efforts to amend that law, and we have supported those efforts for moles. We’ve also sought exemptions for mountain beaver, coyotes and other troublesome critters that are hard to trap otherwise,” he said.

Kretz said the incident should prompt lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire to take another look at the law. He blamed former Gov. Gary Locke, then Gregoire, for inaction. He said Gregoire had the benefit of State Patrol troopers and trappers in 2006 to deal with a raccoon that bothered her dog.

Bjork and Bartlett said the agency has cited “commercial operators” who used illegal traps, and that the offense is a gross misdemeanor, subject to penalties of up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines.

In this case, Bjork said, “We are investigating it. I’ve already talked to the director of GA. They’re well aware of it. They have removed the traps. And we will interview the folks that were involved. And we’ll of course make sure they know it’s a state law violation. We’ll probably give them a warning not to do it again – cease and desist, but we will have it documented.”

Brad Shannon: 360-753-1688

bshannon@theolympian.com

www.theolympian.com/politicsblog