Body gripping trap used by GA on the Capital Campus. Photo Courtesy Rep. Joel Kretz.

Groundskeepers at the Capitol Campus in Olympia have been using body-gripping mole traps in apparent violation of state law.

Department of General Administration spokesman Steve Valandra says workers are removing the five to 10 traps and will look for legal traps. Valandra says workers simply didn't know about a state ban on animal trapping approved by an initiative in 2000.

The Olympian reports the mole traps were spotted Monday by state Rep. Joe Kretz, R-Wauconda.

Kretz said, "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." The Representative suggests there is a need to change the law so that people protecting their property and crops from animal damage can use traps for that purpose.

He said, "It's like in Olympia, do as we say, not as we do."

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