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4 CapitalPress.com March 10, 2017 Wolf’s poisoning raises questions about Wildlife Services By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press A Northeast Oregon wolf died after it bit a spring-load- ed cyanide powder trap set by USDA Wildlife Services in an apparent violation of an in- formal agreement it had with state officials not to use the devices in areas frequented by wolves. OR-48, a 100-pound male from the Shamrock Pack, died Feb. 26 after it bit an M-44 device, which fires cya- nide powder into a predator’s mouth when it tugs on a bait- ed or scented capsule holder. Wildlife Services set the trap on private land in an attempt to kill coyotes. The federal agency kills predators or other wildlife that damage or pose a threat to property, livestock or humans. The agency’s web- site describes the M-44 as an “effective and environmen- tally sound wildlife damage management tool.” It’s primarily used to kill coyotes, wild dogs and fox- es. The agency’s website said animals that trigger the device fall unconscious and die with- Courtesy of Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife An Oregon gray wolf. OR-48, a 100-pound male from the Sham- rock Pack, died Feb. 26 after it bit an M-44 device, which fires cyanide powder into a predator’s mouth when it tugs on a baited or scented capsule holder. in one to five minutes. Sodium cyanide powder in the capsule reacts with saliva in the ani- mal’s mouth, producing dead- ly hydrogen cyanide gas. Predator Defense, a non- profit wildlife activist group based in Eugene, has repeat- edly called for M-44s to be banned. Executive Director Brooks Fahey said the devices are “notoriously dangerous,” indiscriminately kill canids, including dogs, and pose a threat to children or others who might run across them. Use of M-44s was prohib- ited in areas of known wolf activity when wolves were listed as endangered under Oregon law. After wolves were taken off the state en- dangered species list in 2015, U.S. Wildlife Services said it would continue to avoid using M-44s, ODFW spokesman Rick Hargrave said. He said Wildlife Services held an Incidental Take Per- mit that allowed it to conduct wildlife control operations in protected wolf areas but pro- hibited M-44s. The Incidental Take Permit expired when wolves were de-listed, but Wildlife Services indicated it would continue following the permit rules, Hargrave said. “We discussed our con- cerns specifically regarding M-44s,” he said. “We didn’t want those devices in those areas.” “We believed it was clear what our concerns were,” Hargrave said. In a prepared statement, ODFW Wildlife Division Ad- ministrator Doug Cottam said the wolf’s death shows the risk involved when Wildlife Services conducts such oper- ations. “This is a situation we take seriously and we’ll be work- ing with Wildlife Services with the goal of preventing it from happening again,” Cot- tam said in the statement re- leased by ODFW. Also in a prepared state- ment, Dave Williams, state director for Wildlife Services in Oregon, said the agency has begun an internal review to “see if any changes to our procedures are necessary.” Fahey, the Predator De- fense executive director, was harshly critical of USDA Wildlife Services and its tac- tics in the West. His group produced a film, “Exposed: America’s Secret War on Wildlife,” in which critics say Wildlife Services indiscrim- inately and carelessly kills wildlife. Fahey alleges Wild- life Services routinely does not follow safety guidelines when placing M-44s, even when killing coyotes near res- idential areas. For example, Fahey al- leged Wildlife Services does not put up required warning signs when placing M-44s be- cause the agency doesn’t want the public to notice them and fiddle with them out of curi- osity. Wildlife Services also is worried animal rights or wild- life activists might try to re- move the devices, Fahey said. “I don’t think the public really understand how these things are all over the West,” he said. “I find it mind-bog- gling after the history of these devices that we haven’t banned them completely.” Fahey said Oregon 4th Dis- trict congressional Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Eugene, has pre- pared legislation that would ban M-44s. Fahey acknowl- edged such legislation faces an uncertain reception, given the political division over the Trump administration. “No doubt it’s a real tough atmosphere,” he said. But he said some ranchers have lost stock or guard dogs to M-44s and favor banning the devic- es. “It’s still early in this ad- ministration,” Fahey said. OR-48, the wolf that died, was believed to be almost two years old. Hargrave, the ODFW spokesman, said OR- 48 was not the Shamrock Pack’s breeding male, and may have been dispersing from the pack and establish- ing its own territory, as young adults do. The incident site was on the edge of the Sham- rock Pack’s territory Wallowa County. Oregon lawmakers consider limiting biodigester tax credits By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press SALEM — Oregon’s an- ticipated budget shortfall has prompted lawmakers to con- sider limiting tax credits for processing livestock manure into energy in biodigesters. Biodigesters break down manure, releasing methane gas which is used to generate electricity. The remaining sol- ids have many uses. They are expensive, and farmers have used the tax credits to offset the costs. Under House Bill 2853, tax credits would only be avail- able for manure processed in biodigesters that were opera- tional before the end of 2016. The credit effectively costs Oregon about $4 million a Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Steve Smith, a technician for Farm Power Tillamook LLC, explains the functioning of a dairy biodigester near Tillamook, Ore., in this Capital Press file photo. Lawmakers are considering limiting tax credits for biodigesters to facilities operational before 2017. year in forgone tax revenue and has the potential to grow more costly due to the pro- posed construction of a large dairy, said Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, during a March 7 hearing on HB 2853. Barnhart said he’s not “wedded” to the idea of dis- qualifying biodigesters that became operational in 2017 or later from tax credits and would appreciate alternative suggestions from the House Agriculture Committee. “If we don’t do anything, this credit is going to increase significantly over the next couple years,” he said. The question pertains to how Oregon encourages the adoption of biodigesters, said Barnhart. The tax credit is one ap- proach, but Oregon could simply require large “confined animal feeding operations” to cover the cost instead of us- ing the general fund, he said. Lawmakers should con- sider the extent to which the tax credit encourages the de- velopment of new large CA- FOs, Barnhart said. “They have a number of problems associated with them,” such as air and water pollution, he said. Representatives of the Oregon Dairy Farmers As- sociation, the Oregon Farm Bureau and Threemile Can- yon Farms — a dairy near Boardman, Ore. — testified against HB 2853, arguing the tax credit has promoted air quality and contributed to renewable energy devel- opment. By relying on regulation rather than incentives, the government would effec- tively impose a new tax on dairies as well as their cus- tomers, said Len Bergstein, a representative of Threemile Canyon Farms. “There’s a reason we’ve decided to go in a different direction in Oregon,” Berg- stein said. By limiting the tax cred- it, lawmakers would unwit- tingly be playing into the anti-dairy agenda of certain activists who oppose new facilities in Oregon, he said. Dairy producers already made a sacrifice last year, when they agreed for the tax credit to be reduced from $5 per wet ton of manure to $3.50 in exchange for keep- ing the incentive until 2021, Bergstein said. However, Bergstein said other options were possible, such as setting a cap on the amount of tax credits that can be earned from biodi- gesters or reducing the per- ton credit amount over the life of a project. Applications sought for Ag Fest agricultural education awards SALEM — Oregon Ag Fest is soliciting applications for its fifth annual Agricultur- al Education Award. The purpose of the award is to reward student organi- zations, nonprofit groups or classrooms that promote and educate Oregonians about ag- riculture and extend the Ore- gon Ag Fest mission beyond its annual, two-day, interac- tive event. Applications are due 10-1/#8 March 15 and can be down- loaded from the Oregon Ag Fest website: http://oragfest. com/dev/wp-content/up- loads/2017/02/AgEducation- AwardForm_2017.pdf. Cash prizes totaling up to $2,000 may be awarded to as many as three winners annu- ally. Awards will be presented on stage during Oregon Ag Fest on April 30. Award priz- es will depend on quality of applications submitted. “As Oregon Ag Fest cel- ebrates 30 years of growing awareness for the importance of agriculture in our commu- nities, we are proud to contin- ue to support the agricultural education outreach efforts of nonprofit and student organi- zations this year,” said Tami Kerr, Oregon Ag Fest chair- woman, in a press release. “Oregon Ag Fest is dedicated to educating the public about the importance of agriculture, and we see this award as a way to encourage and support student groups that have pro- grams and activities aimed to accomplish the same thing.” Oregon Ag Fest attracts over 19,000 people who ex- perience the world of Oregon agriculture in a fun-filled, fes- tive environment. For more information go to www.orag- fest.com. Joyce Capital, Inc. In agriculture, nothing is certain. Your interest rate should be. We offer competitive interest rates for your agricultural financing needs: • Term agricultural loans (purchases & refinances) • FSA Preferred Lender • Amortizations up to 25 years CONTACT: Kevin Arrien, or Joe Lodge at Joyce Capital, Inc. Agricultural Loan Agents (208) 338-1560 • Boise, ID 10-4/#14 joe@arrien.biz 10-4/#17
