Washington’s wolf population grew by a relatively small 5% in 2022, but achieved a milestone by reaching recovery goals in the North Cascades.

Wolves are now established in two of the state’s three “recovery zones.” They have yet to colonize the South Cascades, though the Department of Fish and Wildlife documented the region’s first pack last year.

“Wolf recovery, I think, is going great,” Fish and Wildlife wolf policy coordinator Julia Smith said Monday. “We will reach recovery. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Fish and Wildlife and the Colville tribe counted 216 wolves, up from 206 in 2021. The number of packs increased to 37 from 33. Breeding pairs, packs with pups surviving through the year increased to 26 from 19.

The wolf population has grown for 14 straight years, averaging 23% growth a year. The growth was the lowest since 2017, when the population grew 3%. Double-digit growth returned the following year.

Breeding pairs and distribution are keys to recovery, according to the state’s wolf plan. Wolves are considered recovered in a region if there are at least four breeding pairs for three straight years.

The goal was met in 2016 in Eastern Washington. Most packs, 22, are in northeast Washington, which Fish and Wildlife has described as “saturated” with packs.

Wolves are not federally protected in the eastern one-third of Washington. Fish and Wildlife can shoot wolves there to contain attacks on livestock.

Fish and Wildlife does not have that option in the North Cascades. A federal judge, overruling the Trump administration, restored federal protection last year to wolves in the western two-thirds of Washington.

The North Cascades have nine wolf packs, including the two largest, the Chewuch and Loup Loup packs, with 10 wolves each. Most packs have four to six wolves, according to the department.

The Big Muddy pack in Klickitat County, the first in the South Cascades, was formed by a male wolf that dispersed from a pack in the North Cascades and a female wolf from an unknown origin.

Smith said she expects more wolves will be able to move into the region. “We see few if any true barriers to wolves dispersing,” she said. “They have this incredible ability to get where they want to be.”

The department also documented new packs in Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens and Spokane counties. Some other packs disbanded, according to the department.

Fish and Wildlife documented 37 wolf deaths in 2022, including 11 legally harvested by tribal hunters. The department is also investigating the deaths of nine wolves believed to have been illegally killed.

Fish and Wildlife killed six wolves to curb predations on livestock. Three wolves were legally killed while attacking livestock. Other deaths include two wolves killed by cougars and one by a moose.

The department confirmed that 26 head of livestock, mostly calves, were killed by wolves. In other suspected predations too little remained of the carcass for investigators to make a definite conclusion.

The predations were more than the 13 confirmed in 2021, but fewer than the 40 confirmed in 2020.