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Oregon Wild Wolf Plan Review Testimony 3.12.10
Oregon Wild gave this testimony to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Commission meeting on March 12, 2010 during discussion of the 5-year review of Oregon's Wolf Management Plan
Oregon Wild Testimony on the 5-year review of the Oregon Wolf Management Plan
March 12, 2010
Oregon Wild is a statewide non-profit conservation group. We represent about 8,000 members and supporters from across the state. As a part of our mission we support and advocate for healthy sustainable populations of all native species. That includes things like elk & salmon, and wolves & meadowlarks.
Wolves invoke strong emotions from all sides. Certainly stronger emotions than meadowlarks for most. However, there is no need for this process to be overly controversial, and we were pleased to hear your opening remarks that this will not be a rewriting of the Oregon wolf plan.
Oregon’s wolf plan is a relatively good and enlightened plan, especially compared to some of our neighboring states. It is a plan that came out of significant compromise from all sides. The best way to honor that compromise is to give the plan a chance to work.
Oregon’s wolf plan is also a relatively untested plan. So far the only test had an unfortunate result, but it showed that the plan gives the state more than enough flexibility and tools to address the concerns of the people who are directly being impacted through depredations and who literally have wolves in their backyards.
We hope this process will not be guided by histrionics and emotion, but a sober look at the issue, the science, and the facts behind it.
Any tweaks to the plan should be to fully fund and empower the biologists and the program, certainly not to make it easier for citizen’s to take matters into their own hands – especially when dealing with the current reality of a population numbering in the low double digits.
I urge you to give the plan an opportunity to work, allow biologists to do their jobs and make decisions that will lead to a meaningful, sustainable, and long term-wolf recovery. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak. We look forward to participating in the process to the extent that it is constructive and appropriate.