Local advocate testifies about wolf status in EO

An interview with northeast Oregon wolf advocate, Wally Sykes.

Wallowa County  resident Wally Sykes testified in Salem on behalf of those supporting the presence of the gray wolf in Eastern Oregon. Sykes was asked a series of questions related to his testimony and his responses follow:

Q: What is your opinion on the four bills that have been proposed and are currently in legislative committee?
 
Sykes: HB 3561 – This bill reduces the Oregon population goals from eight breeding pairs to four. This number would not be a viable population to ensure a genetically healthy wolf population, especially if current delisting efforts result in a drastic reduction in Idaho population (presumably to 15 breeding pairs), since Idaho is the biological reservoir for Oregon wolves. Even eight is too low a number.

Furthermore, it undercuts the Oregon Wolf Plan, which was hammered out after hundreds of hours of negotiations with stakeholders, with compromises all around. A poll taken before the Oregon Wolf Plan was adopted showed 70 percent of Oregonians favored a viable wolf population, as is mentioned on Page 6 of the original 2005 Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. Over 20,000 public comments were made during last year’s Wolf Plan Review. Over 90-percent favored stronger protections for wolves.

HB 3562 - This bill allows wolves to be killed in defense of one’s own life or the life of another. This is already legal under state law.

HB 3563 – Allows taking a wolf within 500-feet of a residence or if a wolf is chasing, harassing, wounding or biting livestock, pets, working dogs or sporting dogs. Because this leaves action at the discretion of the individual without any way of judging whether the action was within the law or not, it creates an open season on wolves. While the majority would obey the spirit of the law, others would not. The zero-tolerance folks in Wallowa County, including a county commissioner, are outspoken in their wish to kill all wolves, and participated in a Salem rally last week, which featured photos of dead wolves with the caption, “Wolf Management 101.” They included these photos in their testimony before the legislative committee. It’s hard to believe these people and others would not take advantage of HB 3563 to kill as many wolves as possible, wiping out Oregon’s two packs. Under the OWP, ranchers suffering chronic depredations can be granted kill permits, as happened last year.

Q: Do you have thoughts or opinions on how the local ranchers can co-exist with the wolves?

Sykes: Oregon ranchers should be compensated for economic loss due to wolf depredations, and HBs 3013 and 3560 are a good beginning. I think foundations, organizations and citizens would be willing to fund a plan. But there are details that have to be worked out. Some of them are:

• A way must be found to judge the number of losses on summer range where not all carcasses can be found. A baseline of “normal” loss prior to the presence of wolves needs to be established. An accurate vetted count of summer range stock has to be kept.

• Should ranchers be compensated when they have not taken any useful precautions to minimize wolf/livestock conflict?

•  How much should be spent by the fund on supplying non-lethal tools and labor?

Q: Do you have any further thoughts or suggestions on the compensation issue?

Sykes: Last year NE Oregon Ecosystems arranged a presentation in Baker City on cattle-management techniques for wolf territory developed by Timm Kaminski of Mountain Livestock Cooperative.

Kaminski has worked successfully for several years with Alberta ranchers on coexisting with wolves. Methods include managing cattle in ways that mimic wild ungulate (hoofed animal) behavior, especially by keeping the herd together to avoid single animals being targeted. Evening feeding causes cows to bed down in a bunch rather than spread out, thus less inviting to wolves. Drifting the herd during daytime grazing also keeps them tighter, provides human supervision, and is more efficient in maintaining range quality.

When problem wolves are removed, it’s done with the pack structure in mind, to avoid pack dispersal and the spread of bad behavior to other packs.

Q: What did you testify to in Salem and how well received did you feel your testimony was by the committee?

Sykes: Some of my testimony is covered above. The balance is below:

We have 35 million acres of public land, half our state, in vast contiguous tracts. These lands protect our biodiversity, our watersheds, our ancient American connection to wilderness and wildness. The wolf restores much that has been degraded there, an effect clearly shown in Yellowstone and elsewhere. The wolf is good for our land and for our souls.

Successful livestock operations are the norm in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Minnesota, British Columbia, and Alberta – all in wolf country. Management techniques and non-lethal tools minimize conflicts. Compensation plans defray losses. Government, organizational and private contributors provide the hardware, the expertise and the labor to employ non-lethal measures.

In Wallowa County, fladry (flagging hung from an electrified fencing wire), RAG boxes (devices that create noise and visual distraction when triggered by a radio-collared wolf), carcass removal, hazers and range riders have ALL been provided by a combination of these agents.

Last year few of these measures were taken. But this year, 10 miles of fladry are out, and RAG boxes are up where they’ll do the most good. Hazers are on the Zumwalt, radio receivers have been given to ranchers so they’ll know when wolves are near. Wolves have been collared with both GPS and telemetry collars, and stock-growers are constantly updated with wolf locations and movements.

Wolves benefit the northeast Oregon economy. Wildlife watching is a booming industry. Wolf-watchers bring $35 million a year to the area around Yellowstone. Wallowa County saw an influx of tourists last year attracted by our wolves and more will comes this year. New jobs are available – Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife specialist and technicians, hazers, range riders, fladry fencers, even local photographers have seen new work from wolves.