FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Rec / Local
My thoughts on the continued Boise Y swim
meet results
case of Witty and the wolf
The case
was moved
to Harney
County be-
cause, Grant
County Dis-
trict Attorney
Jim Carpen-
ter is friends
with Witty’s
family, and
Carpenter
understand-
ably wished
to avoid a
THE OUTDOOR COLUMN
possible
confl ict of
By Todd Arriola
interest.
A recent incident in
OR22, a
Grant County highlighted
gray, male wolf formerly
the political, economic,
of the Umatilla River pack,
cultural and physical
born in April 2013, was
divides among Oregonians, trapped and fi tted with a
with one of the state’s most Global Positioning Satel-
controversial subjects: the
lite (GPS) collar, on Octo-
gray wolf.
ber 26, 2013, by ODFW.
Next month, a plea hear-
In mid-February 2015,
ing is scheduled in Harney
OR22 dispersed from the
County Circuit Court, in
pack, which was generally
Burns, in connection with
based in an area northeast
a wolf shooting incident
of Pendleton.
involving Brennon D.
Since that time, OR22’s
Witty, 25, of Baker City,
dispersal included crossing
in the Crane Prairie area in the Snake River into Idaho
Grant County on October
in late February, crossing
6, 2015, said the Harney
back into Oregon near
County District Attorney’s
Brownlee Reservoir in
Offi ce.
early March, and heading
According to Harney
south near Ontario in early
County District Attorney
April (including crossing
Tim Colahan, Witty has
I-84 south of Baker City),
been charged with Taking
eventually ending up in
a Threatened/Endangered
Grant County.
Species—Wolf (Oregon
Since the arrival of wolf
Revised Statutes, ORS
B-45 into Oregon from
498.026), and Hunting
the Idaho experimental
With a Centerfi re Rifl e
population in 1999, fi erce
Without a Big Game Tag
debate and controversy re-
(ORS 498.002, and Oregon garding wolves has ensued.
Administrative Rules,
The wolf was returned to
OAR 635-065-0740), Class Idaho by the United States
A misdemeanors, both with Fish and Wildlife Ser-
a maximum penalty of up
vice (USFWS) that same
to a year in jail and/or a
year, but, more dispersing
fi ne of $6,250.
wolves from Idaho were
On October 6, 2015, Wit- expected, as is evidenced
ty reported to the Oregon
by the current population,
Department of Fish and
along with expected depre-
Wildlife (ODFW) in Can-
dation. It should be noted
yon City that he had shot
that, natural dispersal from
and killed a wolf while he
Idaho was to be (and is)
was hunting coyotes, south the main source of popula-
of Prairie City, said the
tions of wolves in Oregon,
Oregon State Police (OSP), not the active relocation of
who investigated the inci-
wolves from other states,
dent, along with ODFW.
according to ODFW.
Witty met with ODFW
ODFW stated, “Begin-
and OSP, who recovered
ning in 1999, upon learn-
a deceased wolf (OR22)
ing of the reintroduction
from private property, near of wolves in Idaho, local
Prairie City. On October
governments in northeast
19, 2015, OSP concluded
Oregon took action to
its investigation of the
respond to potential wolf
incident, and delivered
migration into Oregon…”
a report with all factual
A Wolf Summit was
details to the Grant County convened in Enterprise, by
District Attorney’s Offi ce
Wallowa County in Febru-
for review, said OSP.
ary 2000, and, several
A note about such
counties passed resolu-
details, which could not
tions calling for the return
be released at this time to
of wolves to Idaho by
the public. According to
USFWS, with supporting
Central Records Supervi-
resolutions passed by the
sor Erin Redding of OSP,
state and county associa-
“ORS 192.501(3) exempts
tions. This included the
from disclosure informa-
Association of Oregon
tion related to on-going
Counties 1999 resolution
investigations or where
99-F6, asking that wolves
prosecution is still pending not be introduced or pro-
or contemplated.”
tected under the ESA, and,
On December 2, 2015,
the National Association of
during Witty’s afternoon
Counties 2001-2002 reso-
arraignment, he stated
lution, requesting USFWS
he would seek court-
“…not develop plans for
appointed counsel. He was introducing predators into
appointed attorney John
public lands.”
B. Lamborn of Burns, and,
Acknowledging the
Witty’s plea hearing is
potential issues in distin-
scheduled for January 12,
guishing coyotes from
2015, at 10 a.m., in Harney wolves, ODFW has
County Circuit Court,
reserved a section in its big
according to Colahan.
game hunting regulations
to address the topic, stating
that, “Dog, coyote, and
cougar paw prints can be
mistaken for wolf tracks,”
and, “…wolf pups in the
mid-summer and fall can
closely resemble coyotes,
and it can be diffi cult to
tell them apart.” ODFW
states further that, “While
hunting coyote in wolf
country, you should not
shoot unless you are sure
of your target.“ ODFW’s
own Areas of Known
Wolf Activity (AKWA)
maps and data indicate the
majority of gray wolves in
the state are located in the
northeastern corner (not
Grant County).
At the time of the inci-
dent, wolves in eastern
Oregon were not listed
as endangered under the
federal Endangered Spe-
cies Act (ESA), but, they
were listed under the
Oregon ESA. They were
delisted under the Oregon
ESA only a month later, on
November 9, 2015, by the
Fish and Wildlife Commis-
sion (offi cially, November
10, by the Secretary of
State), and, still considered
a “special status game
mammal.” The gray wolf,
whose status was previous-
ly that of protected non-
game wildlife, was given
this confusing designation
during the Oregon 2009
Legislative Session, cour-
tesy of House Bill 3089.
West of Highways 395-78-
95, wolves are additionally
listed under the federal
ESA, with maximum pen-
alties for killing one up to
an astronomical $100,000,
and a year in jail.
According to the Oregon
Wolf Conservation and
Management Plan, “The
(special game mammal)
status would not preclude
the use of controlled
take through hunting and
trapping in response to
management concerns…
Controlled take of wolves
would be permitted as
a management response
tool to assist ODFW in
its wildlife management
efforts only after the wolf
population objectives in
the region to be affected
have been exceeded and
other biological consider-
ations indicate the use of
these management tools
would not result in the
impairment of wolf vi-
ability in the region.” The
status allows fl exibility in
funding sources, including
federal Pittman-Robertson
Wildlife Restoration
grants, and fees from the
sale of hunting licenses,
according to ODFW.
The Plan goes on to
state, “These scenarios
are designed as manage-
ment response mechanisms
should the condition arise
where continued growth of
a healthy wolf population
has proven to impose unac-
ceptable levels of confl ict
with livestock and/or wild
ungulate populations.
The use of these manage-
ment tools is designed to
respond to the interests
of hunters and trappers,
as well as the interests of
protecting livestock and
healthy levels of wild
ungulate populations.”
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In order for the gray wolf
to become delisted under
the Oregon ESA, the Com-
mission determined that:
“The species is not now
(and is not likely in the
foreseeable future to be)
in danger of extinction in
any signifi cant portion of
its range in Oregon or in
danger of becoming endan-
gered; and
“The species’ natural re-
productive potential is not
in danger of failure due to
limited populations num-
bers, disease, predation,
or other natural or human-
related factors affecting its
continued existence; and
“Most populations are
not undergoing imminent
or active deterioration of
range or primary habitat;
and
“Over-utilization of the
species or its habitat for
commercial, recreational,
scientifi c, or educational
purposes is not occurring
or likely to occur; and
“Existing state or federal
programs or regulations
are adequate to protect the
species and its habitat.”
The decision to delist
changed the ESA status of
the gray wolf, but, accord-
ing to ODFW, “… it has
no other immediate effect
on wolf management in
Oregon. Wolves are still
protected by the Wolf Plan
and its associated rules.
Any take of wolves is
highly regulated in Oregon
and the delisting does
not mean additional take
is now allowed. Hunt-
ers and trappers may not
take wolves in Oregon at
this time. The Wolf Plan
does not allow for gen-
eral season sport hunting
of wolves in any phase
of wolf management…
In Phase 3 when wolves
are delisted (now accom-
plished), controlled take of
wolves by special permit
in certain areas could be
allowed with Commission
approval in situations of
chronic livestock dep-
redation or wolf-related
declines of prey popula-
tions.”
While I don’t condone
violations of the law Witty
is alleged to have made,
the fact that we’re talk-
ing about at a 25-year-old
who was not a poacher, but
rather, a coyote hunter who
made a mistake and made
the incredibly diffi cult
moral decision to turn
himself in coupled with
the decision by the Fish
and Wildlife Commission
to delist the gray wolf a
month after that, a decision
that was long overdue, I do
believe that nobody truly
“wins” with convictions in
this case.
I personally know
neither Witty, nor his
family, and, as far as my
opinion is concerned, it
wouldn’t matter if he lived
in Oregon City, as opposed
to Baker City. Nor would I
defend him solely because
he‘s a hunter.
But, punishing Witty for
the unwilling inheritance
of a controversial, experi-
mental species from Idaho,
which plagued northeast-
ern Oregon from the start,
makes little sense…
Riana Scott (13) and former Baker City resident Kristal
Jensen (14), both swimming for La Grande Swim Club,
attended the Boise Y Holiday Invitational Swim meet
on December 11-13. This prelim/fi nal meet required
qualifying times to enter. There were over 230 athletes
representing teams from Oregon, Idaho, Montana and
Utah. Jensen entered the 13-14 events. Scott competed in
the Open events. Both girls posted several personal best
times at this competitive meet. The following are their
results:
Kristal Jensen
Girls 13-14 50 Yard Free 22nd
Girls 13-14 100 Yard Free 21st
Girls 13-14 200 Yard Free 14th
Girls 13-14 500 Yard Free 17th
Girls 13-14 100 Yard Breast 11th
Girls 13-14 200 Yard Breast 10th
Girls 13-14-1650 Yard Free 10th
Riana Scott
Girls 50 Yard Free 10th
Girls 100 Yard Free 5th
Girls 200 Yard Free 7th
Girls 200 Yard Back 6th
Girls 100 Yard Breast 3rd
Girls 200 Yard Breast 1st
Girls 400 Yard IM 2nd
Jared Miller (16) attended the Oregon Senior Open
Swim Meet in Corvallis on December 4-6. This was a
highly competitive, prelim/fi nal meet requiring qualifying
times to enter. The following are his results:
Men Open 100 scy Freestyle Finals 15th
Men Open 200 scy Medley Finals 6th
Men Open 200 scy Backstroke Finals 3rd
Men Open 200 scy Freestyle Finals
15th
Men Open 100 scy Backstroke Finals 5th
Men Open 500 scy Freestyle Finals
12th
Restoration
help available
Forestry Restoration.
Owners of private forestland that was damaged by
natural disasters may be eligible for assistance with
restoration efforts. The Emergency Forest Restoration
Program has national funding available to assist owners
of nonindustrial private forestland, said Trent Luschen,
County Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency
(FSA).
“This program helps restore private forestland from the
damage caused by fl oods and other disasters,” Luschen
said. “Restoration of these lands helps promote local
economies and protects natural resources and wildlife
habitats.”
Forest-owners can use the money to implement restora-
tion practices. These practices could include removal of
unusable materials, replanting of cover, erosion or water
quality control.
Eligible land must have had existing tree cover and be
owned by a nonindustrial private individual or groups.
Tribal land is also eligible. The disaster must impair or
endanger the natural resources present or materially af-
fect future land uses. This could include forest material
clogging streams, wood blocking roads, loss of forest
material or destruction of the forestland.
“This program is a fi rst for woodland owners, helping
them improve and maintain the health of privately held
forest lands,” Luschen said.
FSA county committees determine land qualifi cation
based on on-site damage inspections, taking into account
the type and extent of damage.
Signup are November 15 through January 15. To set up
an appointment call 541-523-7121 ext. 2. For application
and eligibility information for this emergency restoration
program, applicable landowners should visit the FSA
county offi ce or www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation.
Fence Repair.
Baker and Grant County have seen several fi res that
were started by lightning and damaged permanent fenc-
ing on private, BLM and US Forest Service allotments.
Private landowners and permittees in these affected areas
may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency
Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Baker-
Grant County Farm Service Agency Offi ce if the damage:
- will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance
is or will be needed to return the land to productive agri-
cultural use
- is unusual and is not the type that would recur fre-
quently in the same area
- affects the productive capacity of the farmland
- will impair or endanger the land
Restoring permanent fences is the only practice that
may be eligible. A producer qualifying for ECP assistance
may receive cost shares not to exceed 75 percent of the
cost of all eligible expenses of restoration measures. In
addition, cost sharing may be adjusted based on the age
of the fence per the following:
No producer is eligible to receive more than $200,000
cost shares for this natural disaster occurrence.
To be eligible for assistance, practices must not be
started until all of the following are met:
- An application for cost-share assistance has been fi led
- The local FSA County Committee (COC) or its
representative has conducted an onsite inspection of the
damaged area
- The FSA has made a needs determination
Producers who have suffered a loss from this natural
disaster may contact the Baker-Grant County FSA Offi ce
@ 541-523-7121, extension 2 and request assistance
from November 15 to January 15, 2016.