That pesky mole? It's protected by I-713
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The Humane Society of the United States, which last fall favored the statewide initiative banning body-hold animal traps, now favors a law to let people trap moles.
Initiative 713, which passed with 54 percent of the vote in November, was intended to stop trapping for fur, of which moles have precious little, said Lisa Wathney, director of the society's Northwest regional office.
Ed Owens, chairman of Citizens for Responsible Wildlife Management, refuses to endorse changing the measure. Sure, moles dig up lawns, but why help suburban homeowners, he asks, while farmers, ranchers and fish-farmers can't use traps to save their livelihoods?
Besides, he added, mole fur is used for high-fashion accessories and fishing flies.
"You say you want to stop the trade in fur?" said Owens. "Fine. You better keep the ban on trapping moles then."
Four measures currently in the Legislature would exclude mole traps from the initiative.
A hearing is scheduled Thursday at 3:30 p.m. on Senate Bill 5831, which would apply to traps for moles as well as gophers and mountain beavers.
The latter is considered a problem in timber stands.
But any change in the law will require approval of two-thirds of both the House and Senate.
Moreover, it faces the opposition of trappers, such as those in Owens' group.
"It's the ramification of a badly written initiative," said Owens, who has filed suit against the initiative in Thurston County Superior Court.
Permitted traps don't work
Initiative 713 banned steel-jawed leghold traps, neck snares and other body-gripping traps "to capture any mammal for recreation or commerce in fur."
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife can issue special permits for certain traps, none of which works on moles, said Steve Dauma, of the department's enforcement program.
The department had warned before last November's vote that traps used to control moles would be prohibited if the initiative passed.
Earlier this month, it confirmed that interpretation in a letter to wildlife-control operators, prompting them to press for a change.
"Moles are a major percentage of our business," said Karen Awrylo, owner of Critter Control of Seattle, who estimates moles account for half of her work.
Issues of looks, safety, liability
Moles are not exactly a scourge but can create unsightly, volcano-like mounds and damage plants, said David Nagorsen, curator of mammalogy at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, B.C.
"It's really kind of an aesthetic thing, and whether you're willing to tolerate that kind of disturbance in your garden or your lawn," he said.
The animals can cause more widespread damage on golf courses and pastures, and create a liability on athletic fields and school grounds.
Killing them is not easy.
"What's it take?" Awrylo said. "Perseverance. The typical and most effective way is to set traps."
The safest and most effective of those, she said, is a "scissor trap" set underground along a mole's primary route.
Some wildlife-control operators are quietly continuing to use scissor traps, she said.
They would like to see the initiative changed, "so we don't have to be looking over our shoulder," she said.
Eric Sorensen's phone is 206-464-8253. His e-mail is esorensen@seattletimes.com.