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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, November 8, 2019 People & Places Helping prevent depredation By CRAIG REED For the Capital Press ROSEBURG, Ore. — Alyssa Mahaney has a tool- box full of non-lethal meth- ods and strategies that she wants to share with livestock producers in hopes of reduc- ing conflicts between preda- tors and ranch animals. Mahaney is the new con- flict prevention specialist with USDA Wildlife Ser- vices for southwestern Ore- gon. She began her new job in early October. In a collaborative effort, funding for the position is being provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice, the Defenders of Wild- life, the Natural Resources Defense Council and by the wolf advisory commit- tees in Klamath and Jackson counties. “My mission is to pro- tect agriculture, and human health and safety, through non-lethal wildlife conserva- tion efforts,” said Mahaney, a 32-year-old with a wildlife management degree. She will complete her master’s degree in sustainable man- agement of natural resources in mid-December. She did an internship in Maine, tagging, collaring and monitoring bears, and worked for Wildlife Services in Pennsylvania. She moved to Grants Pass, Ore., a year ago to be closer to family in that town and in Roseburg. “I think everything has a place on this earth, includ- ing wolves,” Mahaney said. “I would just like to do everything possible to medi- ate conflict so everybody can co-exist. I feel strongly about protecting both sides, conserving both livestock and wildlife.” There have been wolf-cattle conflicts in the past couple of years in both Jackson and Klamath coun- ties with confirmed fatali- ties of yearling calves by the Rogue wolfpack. The Indigo group of wolves, with a recent litter of four pups, has been confirmed in Douglas County. “This position is some- thing I’ve been pushing for,” said Paul Wolf, the south- west district supervisor for Wildlife Services. “Because wolves are moving west- ward, I’m trying to get out front of them by trying to take a proactive approach to help cattle producers in my district. “When producers start having predator issues, we have to make sure we’re doing everything in our power to lessen the impact,” he added. “We’re always trying to think outside the box, we’re constantly trying new things.” Shawn Cantrell, the vice president for field conserva- EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Established 1928 Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher Kevin Blodgett ........... Advertising Director Western Innovator ALYSSA MAHANEY Hometown: Presently Grants Pass, Ore.; native of Sherman Mills, Maine Education: Bachelor of science in wildlife man- agement, Anna Maria College; will complete work for a master’s degree in sustainable management of natural resources in mid-De- cember through Unity College Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager Entire contents copyright © 2019 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. Craig Reed/For the Capital Press Alyssa Mahaney, who was recently hired as a conflict prevention specialist for southwest Oregon, wraps up a roll of fladry that is used in areas where there have been predator-livestock conflicts. Mahaney will be encouraging the use of non- lethal materials and methods to livestock producers who are dealing with predator conflicts. tion for Defenders of Wild- life, said his organization “is excited to help Wildlife Services pursue non-lethal tools.” “Historically, Wildlife Services uses lethal as its pri- mary tool, so we’re excited about this approach,” he said. Mahaney’s toolbox includes turbo fladry, elec- tric fencing, pyrotechnics (fireworks), strobe lights, air-filled tube characters, guard dogs, removing bone piles, range riding, hus- bandry practices and human presence. Mahaney spent the first two weeks at her new job in Montana, shadowing and learning from a con- flict specialist and a sea- sonal range rider who have been involved in conflict prevention in that state for the past three years. She also attended a co-existence summit. Jennifer Sherry, a wildlife advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the model for the con- flict prevention specialist was started in Montana. She said there’s been a growing interest in that state in peo- ple asking for and wanting to implement the non-lethal methods in order to protect their cattle, goats or chick- ens from wildlife predators. “We developed a part- nership of people who were interested in trying to increase the use of non-le- thal tools,” Sherry said. “Multiple groups can sup- port this approach even though they might not agree on everything. The goal is to help producers implement the tools to help prevent losses for all parties.” Sherry explained it is hard to gather exact data on the success of the prevention program in Montana. She said there have been cases where after multiple years of predation in an area, fladry was installed and livestock losses dropped to zero. “That’s pretty compel- ling,” Sherry said. “We’ve had cameras show wolves walking the fladry line, but not crossing. Some of the carnivores are still there, but there were no losses.” She admitted that there were ranchers who weren’t enthused by the prevention approach, but with the spe- cialist on the ground and meeting the producers face- to-face, it was easier to get them to “give it a try and see what happens.” “After a year with no cat- tle losses, minds change and there is more willingness to use these tools,” Sherry said. Cantrell said Defenders of Wildlife has been a part- ner in funding the specialists in Montana since the pro- gram was established three years ago. “The key is Wildlife Ser- vices is able to reach the ranchers and other live- stock producers who are interested in reducing con- flicts with wolves and griz- zly bears,” he said. “These ranchers trust Wildlife Ser- vices. They don’t know Defenders of Wildlife. It’s working to have a trusted voice like Wildlife Services suggest some tools and strategies to help protect l ivestock. “Every landscape is dif- ferent, every livestock pro- ducer runs a different oper- ation, but it’s the approach to have a trusted voice in the rural agricultural com- munity, Wildlife Services, bringing the message that here are some tools to reduce conflicts with wild- life,” Cantrell said. Elizabeth Willy, a senior wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice and the wolf coordina- tor for the Klamath Basin and all of California, is pleased to have Mahaney on the job in southwestern Ore- gon. Willy’s region has had predator issues with wolves preying on cattle in the Wood River Valley north of Upper Klamath Lake. “Wolves are here, they are part of the landscape now,” Willy said. “The addition of Alyssa in her role really helps us provide another resource for a pro- active approach. It helps us be on the ground sooner and to be more effective in prevention. “Alyssa has a tremendous outdoorsy background,” Willy added. “She’ll have the ability to build and main- tain relationships with land- owners at a different level than an agency. Hopefully with her help, future preda- tions can be minimized.” Sherry said in addition to Oregon, Idaho and Min- nesota have inquired about Montana’s success with pre- vention specialists. Cantrell said Defenders of Wildlife is advocating for federal funding for con- flict prevention specialists in nine western states and three Great Lakes area states. He said there are two bills cur- rently being discussed in Congress that would provide funding. “We’re hopeful, but it’s a process,” Cantrell said of the congressional system. “The program in Montana has certainly caught the atten- tion of other Wildlife Ser- vices directors. It was a pilot effort in Montana, now it’s in Oregon. This is an approach where we feel we can help wildlife, livestock producers and rural communities.” Mahaney will provide quarterly reports on her activities involving the pre- vention of wildlife/livestock conflicts. To Reach Us Circulation ...........................800-781-3214 Email ........... 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Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office or news staff member closest to you, send the information to CALENDAR THROUGH SUNDAY NOV. 10 American Agri-Women Conven- tion: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Embassy Suites by Hilton, 9000 SW Washington Square Road, Tigard, Ore. Hosted by the Ore- gon Women for Agriculture, the Ameri- can Agri-Women Convention will bring members from around the nation. Contact: Oregon Women for Agricul- ture, 541-791-6031. https://owaonline. org/2019-aaw-convention/. FRIDAY-SUNDAY NOV. 8-10 Tilth Conference 2019: Yakima Convention Center, 10 N. Eighth St., Yakima, Wash. Every year, the Tilth Con- ference brings together hundreds of farmers, producers, researchers and food system professionals for a week- end of learning, building relation- ships and sharing best practices. Con- tact: Kevin McAleese, kevinmcaleese@ tilthalliance.org. http://www.tilthcon- ference.org MONDAY-WEDNESDAY NOV. 11-13 Idaho Cattle Association Annual Convention: Sun Valley Inn at Sun Valley Resort, Sun Valley, Idaho. The annual ICA event is focused on cattle- men’s needs, putting them face-to- face with some of the industry’s most renowned experts. Contact: 208-343- 1615, www.idahocattle.org/ lamette Valley Ag Association. The expo is over 250,000 sq. ft. of exhib- itors, equipment, seminars, classes, food and fun. In addition to the exhibitors and classes, attendees can enjoy other attractions such as “Dine Around Oregon,” an antique farm equipment display and an edu- cational area from Oregon Women for Agriculture. Parking is free. The hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues- day. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday. Contact: Scott or Jill Ingalls, info@wvaexpo. com, 800-208-2168. http://wvaexpo. com/ WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13 Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting: 8 a.m. Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center, 777 Ban- nock Trail, Fort Hall, Idaho. The event includes meetings of the Idaho Grower Shippers Association, United Potato Growers of Idaho, Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative and the raw-products group of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Indus- try. They will be followed by pre- sentations by Potatoes USA Presi- dent and CEO Blair Richardson and National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles and Idaho Potato Commis- sion President and CEO Frank Muir. Contact: Jeweldean Hall, 208-334- 2350. https://idahopotato.com/ industry/harvest-meeting TUESDAY-THURSDAY NOV. 12-14 WEDNESDAY- THURSDAY NOV. 13-14 Willamette Valley Ag Expo: Linn County Fair and Expo Cen- ter, 3700 Knox Butte Rd. E, Albany, Ore. Produced by the nonprofit Wil- Dairy West Annual Meeting: Centre on the Grove, 850 W. Front St., Boise. This is the annual meet- ing of Idaho and Utah dairy indus- tries. Contact: https://www.dairy- west.com WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY NOV. 13-16 Tri-State Grain Growers Con- vention: Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spo- kane, Wash.This is the annual con- vention of grain farmers in Wash- ington, Oregon and Idaho and features a full slate of presenta- tions and breakout sessions. Spon- sored by the Washington Associa- tion of Wheat Growers, Idaho Grain Producers Association and the Ore- gon Wheat Growers League. Early bird registration ends Oct. 18. Contact: http://www.wawg.org/ convention THURSDAY, NOV. 14 WSU Extension Forest Health Seminar: 6-8 p.m. Hege- wald Center, 710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, Wash. This sem- inar will help you understand for- est health, what to look for, and what you may be able to do about it on your own property. To regis- ter, go to https://bit.ly/2qxLwOL Contact: patrick.shults@wsu.edu, 360-740-1213 THURSDAY-FRIDAY NOV. 14-15 Washington State Grape Soci- ety Annual Meeting: Church of the Nazarene, 500 N. Elm, Grandview, Wash. This is the Washington State Grape Society’s annual meeting and trade show. Contact: 509-585-5460 https://www.grapesociety.org/annu- al-meeting.html newsroom@capitalpress.com FRIDAY, NOV. 15 Fall Forage Festival: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Yamhill Heritage Cen- ter Museum, 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville, Ore. Oregon Forage & Grassland Council and Oregon Hay and Forage Associ- ation are cooperating with OSU Extension Service to produce the annual Fall Forage Festival. $15 for members and $30 for non-mem- bers. Contact: Kate Hartnell 541- 619-3529. RSVP to Jerome Magnu- son jmagnuson@dlfna.com. www. oregonforage.org/ FRIDAY-SUNDAY NOV. 15-17 2019 Young Farmers & Ranch- ers Leadership Conference: Sher- aton Portland Airport Hotel, 8235 NE Airport Way, Portland, Ore. A conference for young Farm Bureau members interested in improv- ing their leadership and com- munication skills, learning about issues impacting Oregon agricul- ture, gaining ag business tips from industry experts, making new friends, and having a blast! Con- tact: Jacon Taylor, yfr@oregonfb. org 541-589-9694 SATURDAY, NOV. 16 Oregon Hay King Contest: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Yamhill Heritage Center Museum, 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville, Ore. Bale delivery will start at 7:45 a.m. and judging will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for seven different classes. Free admis- sion for the contest. Contact: Mylen Bohle at 541-447-6228 or mylen. bohnle@oregosntate.edu TUESDAY- WEDNESDAY NOV. 19-20 Washington Farm Bureau 99th Annual Meeting & Trade Show: Wenatchee Convention Center, 121 N Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee. Join us for information, inspiration, and fun. Have your voice heard as “the voice of agriculture.” Contact: Kathie Davies, kdavies@wsfb.com 360-528- 2911 https://wsfb.com/2019-wfb- 99th-annual-meeting/ THURSDAY, NOV. 21 Water Rights Boot Camp: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, 7175 NE Ever- green Parkway No. 400, Hillsboro, Ore. Join Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District and attorney Laura A. Schroeder for a free sem- inar about water rights in the Wil- lamette Valley. During the seminar, you’ll learn about dissecting your water right, protecting water rights, transfers, title issues, losing a water use or right and rights pre- & post- water code. Contact: Charlotte Trow- bridge, 503-277-3709, charlotte. trowbridge@tualatinswcd.org or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Letters to the Editor: Send your comments on agriculture-related public issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital Press. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday. Capital Press ag media CapitalPress.com FarmSeller.com MarketPlace.capitalpress.com facebook.com/CapitalPress facebook.com/FarmSeller twitter.com/CapitalPress youtube.com/CapitalPressvideo Index Markets .................................................10 Opinion ...................................................6 FRIDAY, NOV. 22 Denim and Diamonds Awards Dinner and Auction: 5 p.m. Salem Convention Center, 200 Commer- cial St. SE, Salem, Ore. This is Ore- gon Aglink’s annual awards dinner and fundraising auction to sup- port the organization’s activities, including Adopt a Farmer, road- side crop signs and a multime- dia campaign promoting Oregon agriculture. Contact: http://www. aglink.org Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.
