Don’t Feed Raccoons.

The one thing that would make us happier about this legislation is when it passes the Senate to become law.     

 

By a vote of 55-41 the House voted to ban the deliberate feeding of seven types of wildlife: bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, deer, elk, and raccoons. It has moved to the Senate for consideration in Washington’s 2010 legislative session.

Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D–Sequim) sponsored the bill in 2009, but it did not reach the House floor before last year’s session ended.  He brought it forward again this year. 

“In my district, which is mostly rural communities, certain types of wildlife are becoming extremely aggressive toward humans because they are being regularly fed,” Van De Wege said in a press release. “This bill is about keeping people and communities safe from potentially dangerous animals, and it’s about keeping the wildlife safe, too.” 

Besides the risks of wildlife attacking people, feeding presents a public health risk because of increased manure on the property where animals are coming to feed. It also leads to the greater presence of the predators who prey on the wildlife being fed. And some species, like raccoons, can carry deadly diseases like rabies. 

State Fish and Wildlife officers would enforce the law, with the first violation resulting in a warning. A subsequent violation would result in a natural resources infraction. There are certain exemptions for zoos, wildlife refuges, and wildlife rehabilitators, and protections for farmers who may inadvertently feed wildlife on farms. 

“The course of action that has to be taken is that you have to intentionally be feeding wildlife,” Van De Wege said from the House floor shortly before the vote. He explained that infractions wouldn’t be issued simply because deer were feeding on the apple trees in a person’s yard. 

The bill number is House Bill 1885.   You can find your State Senator here, to  email your request for passage of this legislation.

 

Raccoons become more aggressive and less fearful of people if you feed them.  Its a bad combination, not like feeding chipmunks but more like feeding bears.  On South Whidbey there is a big raccoon problem, or should I say, a big problem with people feeding the raccoons.  Click here  to learn all about raccoons, why feeding raccoons does not help them,  and why this legislation is needed.