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must provide quarterly progress reports on the success and challenges 1 of the measures to the appropriate committees of the legislature. 2 (7) $403,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal 3 year 2024 and $377,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 4 fiscal year 2025 are provided solely to develop conflict mitigation 5 strategies for wolf recovery and staff resources in northeast 6 Washington for response to wolf-livestock conflicts. The department 7 shall not hire contract range riders in northeast Washington unless 8 there is a gap in coverage from entities funded through the northeast 9 Washington wolf-livestock management grant program as provided in RCW 10 16.76.020. No contract riders shall be deployed in areas already 11 sufficiently covered by other riders. The department must focus on 12 facilitating coordination with other entities providing conflict 13 deterrence, including range riding, and technical assistance to 14 livestock producers in order to minimize wolf-livestock issues in the 15 Kettle Range and other areas of northeast Washington with existing or 16 emerging chronic conflict. The department is discouraged from the use 17 of firearms from helicopters for removing wolves. 18 (8) $852,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal 19 year 2024 and $852,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 20 fiscal year 2025 are provided solely for the department to provide 21 additional capacity to the attorney general's office to prosecute 22 environmental crimes. The department must provide an annual report by 23 December 1st of each year, to the appropriate committees of the 24 legislature, on the progress made in prosecuting environmental 25 crimes. 26 (9) $753,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal 27 year 2024 and $753,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 28 fiscal year 2025 are provided solely for expanded management of 29 pinniped populations on the lower Columbia river and its tributaries 30 with the goal of increasing chinook salmon abundance and prey 31 availability for southern resident orcas. 32 (10) $470,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal 33 year 2024 and $470,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for 34 fiscal year 2025 are provided solely for the department to expand 35 efforts to survey the diets of seals and sea lions in the Salish sea 36 and identify nonlethal management actions to deter them from preying 37 on salmon and steelhead. 38 p. 426 ESSB 5187.SL