Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2018)
March 23, 2018 CapitalPress.com Known Washington wolf packs Estimated range 6 10 14 18 15 19 20 3 5 7 11 16 Okanogan 8 12 17 13 9 4 Bellingham 1 N 20 20 miles 2 5 101 97 2 Spokane 2 Wenatchee 23 90 90 WASHINGTON 90 195 C River Yakima Pasco 82 Co l u m bia 395 m olu b ia 1. Skagit (Lone wolf) Seattle 2. Lookout 3. Loup Loup 4. Beaver Creek 15. Smackout 5. Strawberry 16. Dirty Shirt 6. Togo 17. Carpenter 7. Nc’icn Ridge 8. Frosty 18. Salmo 9. Whitestone 19. 5 Goodman 10. Wedge Meadows 11. Stranger 20. Tucannon 12. Huckleberry 21. Touchet 13. Five Sisters 22. Grouse Flats 14. Leadpoint 23. Teanaway 2 S Confirmed range Wolf packs (As of Dec. 31, 2017) NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. Circles represent generic ranges for packs that have no collared wolves. R i v er e nak R ive r 20 21 22 Source: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Wolves stick to northeast Washington Rancher: ‘Our worst nightmare’ comes true By DON JENKINS Capital Press Washington’s wolf popula- tion grew for a ninth straight year in 2017, but the predators were more concentrated than ever in four northeast coun- ties, and the state actually lost ground by the standard it mea- sures recovery. Wildlife managers counted 14 breeding pairs at the end of 2017, compared to 10 the year before. But the geographical distribution of reproducing packs, the prime recovery goal, shrank. While the number of breeding pairs increased to 13 from eight in Eastern Wash- ington, it decreased to one from two in the North Cas- cades. There are no breeding pairs, or packs, in the South Cascades. Wolves will remain a pro- tected species statewide until all three recovery zones have at least four breeding pairs. Eastern Washington reached that threshold in 2011. The new figures, present- ed Saturday to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, show that wolves aren’t spreading out, and that northeast Wash- ington is left with more and more wolves while statewide recovery is still years away, said Scott Nielsen, president of the Cattle Producers of Washington. “It is our worst nightmare coming true,” he said. “What we were concerned would happen is happening.” Fish and Wildlife count- ed 122 wolves, up from 115 at the end of 2016. About 80 percent of the wolves are in Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties. “We are absolutely satu- rated up here,” said Nielsen, a Stevens County rancher. “What’s not fair is we’re go- ing to have to bear the brunt of this in northeast Washing- ton while the wolves decide to disperse.” The 6 percent growth last year was low compared to re- cent years. Over the previous three years, the population grew by at least 27 percent. The growth in 2017 occurred in Eastern Washington. The number of wolves in the North Cascades declined slightly. Fish and Wildlife wolf specialist Ben Maletzke said Monday the department re- mains confident that wolves will spread out. Wolfpacks are running out of room in the northeast, he said. “The territories are kind of filled in,” Maletzke said. “We aren’t going to see much more of a ramp-up in northeast Washington. I think there will be a leveling out, and we’ll see more in the North Cas- cades.” Fish and Wildlife said it expects to have a complete annual report finished by March 30. Maletzke said one year of single-digit growth doesn’t indicate recovery has stalled. “I don’t consider it a step backward by any means,” he said. Maletzke noted that a male wolf has been roaming in eastern Skagit County, the state’s first confirmed wolf in Western Washington in decades. Wildlife biologists trapped and put a radio collar on the animal last year. So far, biologists have not seen him with a mate, but he is staying in the area. Maletzke also noted that the North Cascades had three wolfpacks, the same as in 2016. They could produce pups this year, he said. Fish and Wildlife con- firmed in 2017 that wolves at- tacked and killed at least eight cattle, one fewer than the year before. Nielsen said the number downplays the effect wolves have had on ranchers. After a wolf attack, in some cases, too little remains of a cow or calf to positively identify the predator. An untallied number of cattle are never found, and some ranchers have left wolf territory, he said. “The more wolves we have, the more conflicts we have,” Nielsen said. “I believe it is worse than ever.” Conservation Northwest Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 7 Oregon agency may be awash in red ink from water litigation By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Oregon’s water regula- tors are rapidly spending the $835,000 they have avail- able for litigation and may go nearly $1.3 million over budget in the 2017-2019 bi- ennium. A request for more lit- igation funds was recent- ly turned down by Oregon lawmakers, which means the Oregon Water Resourc- es Department will probably ask the Legislature’s Emer- gency Board for money later this year. If OWRD can’t get ad- ditional litigation funds, the agency will have to delay re- placing employees who have left, though it has yet to de- termine how many positions would remain unfilled, said Racquel Rancier, the depart- ment’s senior policy coordi- nator. About $600,000 was spent on litigation within the first seven months of the bi- ennium, which was roughly two-thirds of the money al- located for two full years of legal battles, Rancier said March 15 during a meeting of the Oregon Water Re- sources Commission, which oversees the agency. Litigation costs have averaged about $86,000 a month, so funds are expected to run out soon — particu- larly since several cases may go to trial, increasing the ex- Capital Press File Irrigation-related lawsuits filed against the Oregon Water Resources Department are causing the agency to spend a pro- jected $1.3 million more than originally budgeted for the current biennium. pense, she said. At the current rate, OWRD is projected to spend about $2.1 million on litiga- tion in the current biennium. The agency has a legis- latively adopted budget of $98.6 million for 2017-2019, down from $107.4 million for the previous biennium. Litigation over water has increased mostly due to more regulatory calls cutting off water to junior irrigators in the Klamath Basin, where an “adjudication” over the validity of water rights was completed in 2013, Rancier said. Since the lawsuits are generally initiated against OWRD, the agency doesn’t have control over the costs. The problem is also grow- ing worse: 25 new cases were filed against OWRD in 2015-2017, up from 13 new cases in 2013-2015 and 5 new cases in 2011-2013. OWRD plans to contin- ue discussing the issue with lawmakers to convey what services the agency can’t perform as a result of de- layed hiring, Rancier said. The agency plays a key role in Oregon irrigation by administering the state’s water rights system, such as approving wells, diversions, leases and transfers. When the agency issues a water call, a junior irrigator can stay enforcement of that regulation by filing a lawsuit, said Tom Byler, OWRD’s di- rector. OWRD can lift such an enforcement stay — as it did last year — but the pro- cess can take several weeks, during which a senior water user’s rights are infringed, he said. The state’s wolf population grew for a ninth straight year in 2017, but the geographical distribution of breeding pairs shrank. Executive Director Mitch Friedman said in a statement that he was happy to see the population continue to grow and that the number of breed- ing pairs increased. “We are disappointed that more wolfpacks have not yet become established in Wash- ington’s North and South Cascades, despite quality habitat available in those ar- eas,” he said. “It’s our hope that in 2018 we’ll see further expansion of wolves into the South Cascades and Western Washington, and the progress towards state recovery goals such confirmations would bring.” Washington lawmak- ers this month directed Fish and Wildlife to study mov- ing wolves from northeast Washington to unoccupied territories to the west. The study could take more than a year. Legislators have reject- ed proposals to take wolves in northeast Washington off the state-protected species list, giving wildlife managers more flexibility to limit the population in the region while leaving the recovery plan in place elsewhere. Wolves are not federally protected in the eastern one-third of the state, but are in the western two- thirds. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! BAGS: • Seed Bags • Fertilizer Bags • Feed Bags • Potato Bags • Printed Bags • Plain Bags • Bulk Bags • Totes • Woven Polypropylene • Bopp • Polyethylene • Pocket Bags • Roll Stock & More! HAY PRESS SUPPORT: • Hay Sleeves • Strap • Totes • Printed or Plain • Stretch Film (ALL GAUGES) WAREHOUSE PACKAGING: • Stretch Film • Pallet Sheets • Pallet Covers LOCATIONS: Albany, Oregon (MAIN OFFICE) Ellensburg, Washington CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 855-928-3856 Fax: 541-497-6262 info@westernpackaging.com ....................................................... CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR TOP PRIORITY! w w w. w e s t e r n p a c k a g i n g. c o m 12-3/100 12-2/100