December 7, 2004

The Oregon Department of Fish and wildlife over the past year has been developing a Wolf Conservation and Management Plan as directed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission with input from an advisory committee of 14 Oregon citizens appointed by the Commission. The final draft of the plan has been adopted by the Commission to go public for the rulemaking process.  Public comments will be received until February 10, 2005 and there will be 3 public hearings before the Commission takes action on February 11, 2005. The public hearings before the Commission are December 10 and January 6, 2005 in Salem and February 10 in Troutdale.

In order to implement the plan there are actions that require legislative approval including funding.

Two of the members of the advisory committee wrote minority reports because they found the provisions of the plan conflicted with the needs of the citizens they represented, that is the livestock industries and county government. Indeed the minority report includes a dissertation of their belief that the process, the plan and rules are inconsistent with state law and administrative rules and that the Commission usurps authority from Oregon’s landowning agencies as well as from the citizens by developing the plan in its present form. Those reports and opinions are on the above mentioned website.

The following directives are suggested for the purpose of protecting property rights, to provide a contingency in case funding is not available to implement the plan and compensate for wolf depredation on domestic animals and to reaffirm citizen’s rights to protect themselves, their families and their property. None is accommodated in the draft Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

More information on the Oregon Cattlemen’ s Association and the Wolf Taskforce can be found on www.orcattle.com “committees” tab, “wolf taskforce” tab.

Don’t hesitate to e-mail me or call me if I can be of any further assistance.

Your comments need to be short and to the point that the draft plan is unacceptable until it addresses the bullets on the next page to the satisfaction of those who will be most affected by the wolf…us!

Send comments to: ODFW Commission, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem, OR 97303

E-mail to:  ODFW.Comments@state.or.us
Fax to: 503-947-6009
 

Thanks,

Sharon Beck

We will only support language in the plan and in wildlife law that clearly and unequivocally says:

• Keepers of domestic animals may at any time and in any place exercise lethal control of any wolf or wolves caught in the act of attacking an animal in their care.

• Any person may exercise lethal control on any wolf or wolves that has threatened or is threatening the safety of any person.

• Non-lethal injurious harassment of wolves may be a person’s choice under the previous two circumstances without a permit.

• Rules for non-injurious harassment of wolves by land owners and those who occupy land, or their designees, is unconditionally allowed without a permit.

• There will be no distinction between the management provisions available on private land and those available on legally occupied public land.

• Compensation for the depredation of domestic animals by wolves shall provide for full monetary reimbursement for the loss of the animal and will not be limited to death loss but will include all depredation losses including time and trouble of the owner in dealing with the depredation event.

• Determinations of depredation will be made by Wildlife Services and the amount of compensation will be agreed to by the owner and the Department. The Board of Agriculture will serve as an appeal board for disagreements concerning values.

• “Suitable habitat” has been defined in the plan but none is identified within Oregon. The Department will immediately initiate a process to identify suitable wolf habitat with the assistance of each county governing body in order to mitigate local conflicts.

• Taking up wolves in any manner whatsoever will be only for purposes of removal and never for relocation within Oregon.

• The Commission will not adopt any plan until the legislature approves legal and financial commitments to accommodate conservation of wolves without conflict. In the event the legislature is unwilling to make such commitments the Commission will withdraw the plan and begin a review of the Oregon endangered species list to determine whether verifiable scientific information exists to justify the wolf’s reclassification or removal from the list. The Federal 4 (d) rule will be the default management plan.

For more information please visit the WOLF TASK FORCE page, be sure to scroll down to the Wolf Advisory Committee section.

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