What Oregonians Really Think About Their Wolves

Oregon's wolf management plan is under review, and when ODFW asked for public comments, thousands of Oregonians weighed in.

Fish and Wildlife asked for comments on the state’s Wolf Management Plan, and Oregonians responded in a big way.

ODFW says it received more than 22,000 letters and emails from the public and stakeholder groups such as the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, Oregon Wild, and the Hells Canyon Preservation Council.

After sorting through the pile, what’s left is a description of what we think is working – and not working – as the State searches for ways for manage its small, but growing population of wolves.

Here are some of the issues outlined in a new report summarizing what Oregonians had to say.

What’s “Chronic Depredation”?

One of the goals of the Wolf plan is to protect ranches from “chronic depredation”. In other words, we’re not going to kill wolves just because of some isolated attacks on livestock. Currently, the attacks have to take place in nearby areas, or on the same property. This summer, ODFW loosened the rules so that attacks happening further apart could be considered part of the same “chronic depredation”.

Why the change? Wolf packs can travel far between kills. The Imnaha pack in Wallowa County roamed an area of 327 square miles while it carried out six fatal livestock attacks this spring. Had the loosened rules been in place beforehand, ODFW says it would have been able to act sooner. Instead, the agency wasn’t able to issue “shoot-to-kill” permits to ranchers and federal agents until after the fifth kill.

By reading the report, it seems to me ODFW wants to keep the loosened rules in place. Environmental groups agree more flexibility is needed, but believe that ODFW’s new language is too vague, and that the agency should have waited until the review process was completed.

Moving Wolves Away From Trouble

When a wolf gets too close to ranches and homes, ODFW has the option of capturing it and moving it out of the area. The idea is to prevent attacks on livestock before they happen. Currently, the agency can only move the wolf to the nearest wildlife area. But chances are that’s where the wolf came from in the first place. It’s almost like not relocating the animal at all.

ODFW appears interested in changing the rule from “nearest wildlife area” to “suitable habitat” – a difference that makes it a lot easier to find new homes for wolves. Environmental groups generally support the change. But agricultural groups do not. They’re worried it will speed up the spread of wolves through Oregon. In fact, some have argued for dropping this option entirely.

When Are Wolves Delisted?

Oregon wolves may be delisted under state law after four breeding pairs are established in Eastern Oregon. Even then, there’s no guarantee that delisting will happen. Instead, the Fish and Wildlife Commission can decide for itself if removing wolves from the state’s endangered species list is a good idea.

Ranchers and farmers say delisting should be automatic and that ODFW should lose the authority to make that decision. Some have argued for a maximum limit on how many wolves should be allowed in the state.

Environmentalists says that four breeding pairs are too few and want to see higher numbers before delisting is considered. If wolf numbers drop below a certain point, some argue that relisting should be done automatically.

It looks like ODFW hopes to avoid addressing this issue in the updated Wolf Plan. These numbers were the result of some difficult and tense negotiations that took place when the original plan was written five years ago. Considering that it’s highly unlikely we’ll have four established breeding pairs in the next five years, the staff appears to be saying, why open up that can of worms now?

Who Decides What’s A Wolf Kill?

As if wolves weren’t controversial enough, the federal government only made things worse when it disagreed with ODFW on how many calves were killed this spring in Wallowa County. USDA Wildlife Services counted nine kills, confirming every attack claimed by ranchers. But ODFW only counted six kills.

The dispute aggravated both sides of the wolf debate. The Cattleman’s Association claimed that wolves were “terrorizing” ranchers and that ODFW wasn’t taking the issue seriously. Environmental groups labeled Wildlife Services a “rogue” agency and questioned if the agent for Wallowa County even had the necessary training to decide if a wolf kill took place.

It’s unlikely that ODFW will want to give up its authority in this area. But the report does suggest the agencies need to do a better job of working with each other.

“Shoot To Kill” Permits

ODFW issues “shoot-to-kill” permits to ranchers after chronic depredation takes place. The permits allow them to shoot wolves caught in the act of attacking livestock.

Ranchers say the the rules are too restrictive. They want to be able to shoot wolves that are simply nearby, and to be able to chase and hunt wolves into other areas.

That’s probably not going to happen. The ODFW report says changing the rules on permits is too big of a change to be included in this five year review. It also raises concerns about making it too easy to shoot wolves, and that it might undo plans to protect the species in Oregon.

What’s Next?

ODFW staff officially releases its proposed changes for the Wolf Plan in a couple of weeks. My hunch is that it won’t call for big changes. The draft update goes before the Commission in September, which votes on a final plan in October.

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