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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-
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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
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EO Media Group
dba Capital Press
An independent newspaper
published every Friday.
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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.
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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
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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
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