8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017
Local
Wolf Depredation: Producers Local DMV to
may do their own range riding close for floor
replacement
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Wolf
Depredation Compensa-
tion Committee met on
Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 3
p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, to
discuss implementation of
a reimbursement program
this year, which would
pay participating livestock
producers up to 50% of the
costs associated with em-
ploying their own Range
Rider, in the continuing
battle to curtail wolf depre-
dation in the region.
Present were committee
chair and Baker County
Commissioner Mark Ben-
nett, committee members
Tom Van Diepen and Curt
Jacobs, Baker County
Commission Executive As-
sistant Heidi Martin, Chad
Del Curto, George Rollins,
Fred Phillips, and Deven
Thompson.
Bennett opened the meet-
ing, and explained that the
Baker County Soil and Wa-
ter Conservation Districts
(SWCD), which has histor-
ically handled recruitment
and contract of a Range
Rider in the past, was un-
able to work out the details
for that position this year,
which prompted the idea of
producers using their own
riders (no employees or
family members) to track
and deter wolves.
The producers would be
reimbursed, on a first-
come, first-served basis,
for payments made to the
riders, up to the limit of
available funding.
Bennett said, “The
goal...is to have some-
body out there with a set
of eyes on the ground...”
in an efficient way, but if
the County takes over the
contract for a rider, “We’ll
eat up all the money right
away, because of our insur-
ance, and all of our poli-
cies...this way, at least, we
can give an opportunity...”
for producers (Phillips,
Jacobs, Del Curto, Rol-
lins, and Thompson, in this
case) to participate in the
program, and to be at least
partially compensated for
their efforts.
Rollins asked if the riders
will be allowed to use the
County-owned or SWCD-
owned radio receivers,
which pick up wolf radio
collar location signals, and
Bennett said yes, if the
producers wish to use that
tool (the County owns two,
and SWCD owns one).
Bennett asked if the pro-
ducers would consider par-
ticipating in the program,
and generally, the answer
was yes, and he asked
Jacobs, who raises sheep,
what methods he currently
uses to deter wolves. Ja-
cobs said he uses an elec-
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Tom Van Diepen (left) and Mark Bennett with a hand-held antenna.
trified net fence, several
feet high, “that’s guar-
anteed to stop a grizzly,”
that’s relocated every four
days. Bennett, speaking of
tailoring compensation on
a case-by-case basis, said,
“Maybe we could, in your
case, absorb some of that
cost.”
Jacobs said, “I was hop-
ing Union County or Uma-
tilla County would have,
but I haven’t gotten any
money from them, either,”
though he emphasized that
other producers have more
issues to deal with than he
does.
Bennett said the County
has bought enough fladry
(line mounted at the top of
a fence, with colored strips
of fabric or flags that flap
in the breeze) that “you
could run a line from here
to Halfway.” Jacobs said
he has an extra roll, if the
County wants it.
Rollins asked, “So, (from
the rider) you want docu-
ments, tracks, pictures—
anything you can get?”
Martin said, “There’s a
map attached... You can
use this as a general idea of
where he rode...” referring
to copies of an Oregon De-
partment of Fish and Wild-
life (ODFW) State Area
Of Known Wolf Activity
(AKWA) map she provided
to the producers, attached
to informational sheets
to be filled out, regarding
pastures and herds. She
said, “Any documentation
you have...” that would
help reach the goal, such as
enlarging areas of the maps
to indicate with greater
accuracy where riders have
been, what signs of wolves
there were, etc.
Bennett, voicing praise
for Martin and her ef-
forts with the program,
and wanting to lessen her
workload, said that pay-
ments from the County to
the producers would be
made once, and not on a
continuous basis through-
out the season.
Phillips said, “I just
question the effective-
ness of it,” referring to the
riding, as a means to deter
wolves, Bennett said he’s
not sure, either, and others
added their opinions about
the difficulties involved.
The subject of how many
radio-collared wolves are
in Baker County came
up—only three, according
to ODFW, which the com-
mittee disbelieves. Bennett
said, “It doesn’t mat-
ter—we don’t seem to be
making a lot of headway
on that discussion.”
Bennett, referring to the
copies Martin provided,
said that the State requires
more detailed information
for submitted applica-
tions for compensation for
livestock losses, includ-
ing the number of head of
cattle turned out versus
the number collected, the
cattle’s status, methods
used to deter wolves, and
range riding activity.
Van Diepen said, “The
more stuff you can give
us, the easier it is to
convince...” the State of
the validity of the losses
claimed due to wolf depre-
dation.
Van Diepen said that this
was not fully accomplished
for last year’s losses.
In response to a ques-
tion from Rollins about
whether it matters where
cattle are located, as far as
potential compensation for
losses, when they’re not on
National Forest land, Mar-
tin said, “If it’s a confirmed
depredation, it doesn’t
matter if it’s in an area of
known wolf activity or
not...But, if you’re missing
cattle, it has to be in an
area of known wolf activ-
ity, to be compensated.”
Bennett said that a
representative from Rob-
bins Farm Equipment saw
benefits to the committee
using Robbins’ drone and
had spoken to Bennett
about it, but that there are
issues to consider, such
as with privacy, and there
would still need to be
someone monitoring the
use of the drone.
Bennett mentioned the
radio receivers again, and
he asked the producers
about using them, to which
they answered yes, so
Bennett and Martin left the
meeting, and returned with
the two receivers owned
by the County. Bennett
displayed one of the re-
ceivers, a Communications
Specialists, Inc. VHF (very
high frequency) model,
and its various accessories,
including a hand-held,
direction-finding antenna
he assembled for the group
to see, as he demonstrated
its basic operation. The ra-
dios were issued to the pro-
ducers, and Bennett asked
them to speak with Baker
District ODFW Wildlife
Biologist Brian Radliff, or
Assistant Wildlife Bi-
ologist Justin Primus, for
more instructions on the
receivers’ operation.
Bennett reminded the
producers of the impor-
tance of contacting him if
they suspect or see obvious
depredation due to wolves,
and he and Baker County
Sheriff Travis Ash would
be present as soon as
possible to investigate the
scene.
Bennett said, in reference
to showcasing the issues
with wolves, “The more
we can expose—call the
press and everybody else,
get as much as we can, and
start to push back.”
The Baker City DMV will close the week of Aug. 7-11
to replace carpet and front lobby tile. This is the office’s
first floor covering replacement since DMV moved to the
location in 2001.
The office, located at 3370 10th St. Suite A, will close
at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and reopen at 9 a.m. Monday,
Aug. 14. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
with a midday closure from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
If you need to visit a DMV in person during the Baker
City office closure, the nearest DMV offices are in La
Grande and Ontario. Wait times for those offices are
posted at OregonDMV.com.
If your driver license, instruction permit or identifica-
tion card is expiring in August, you may want to go to
DMV well before the Aug. 21 solar eclipse.
An estimated one million people are expected to visit
the zone of totality in Oregon, and the expected traffic
will slow travel for everyone – for days before and after
the event. DMV plans to be open, but some offices may
open late or not at all if staff cannot reach them due to
traffic.
ODOT advises visitors and residents to arrive early,
stay put and leave late: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/
Pages/Eclipse.aspx
Any time you need to visit a DMV office, first check
OregonDMV.com to find office hours and locations, and
to make sure you have everything you need before your
visit. You also can do some DMV business from home at
OregonDMV.com.
You can renew your vehicle registration, file a change
of address or file notice of the sale of your vehicle online
without getting in line at an office.
County to test
notification
system
Baker County will be conducting a test of its mass noti-
fication system. Currently this system is used to notify the
public of emergency situations happening in your area.
The test will occur sometime during the week of July 31st
through the August 4th and between the hours of 9:00
a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
The notification will say: “This is a test of Baker
County’s mass notification system. This is only a test.”
No response or action from you will be necessary
upon receiving the test notification. In the event that an
actual emergency occurs during this week the notification
will be different and contain information relating to the
emergency.
Chinook fishery
to close July 30
The spring Chinook fishery on the Snake River below
Hells Canyon Dam will close at sundown (8:18 p.m.) on
Sunday, July 30.
Idaho Fish and Game, who monitors the Snake River
fishery for both states, noted that angler interest and
catch rates have dropped dramatically during the past two
weeks. Last week, they documented only a few people
fishing and an estimated harvest of two Chinook salmon.
The Snake River fishery stood out as a highlight in an
otherwise poor year for salmon fishing opportunities in
Oregon’s Snake River basin. “Despite a very low return,
salmon fishing below Hells Canyon Dam has offered
some of the best opportunity in the Snake River basin this
season,” said Jeff Yanke, District Fish Biologist in Enter-
prise. “During the past month catch rates were on par, or
better than even the most abundant return years.”
The closure on the Snake is concurrent with fishery clo-
sures ordered by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Senior pass
rates
increase
Wolf injures calf in Wallowa Co.
On July 21, a livestock
producer was moving
cattle and noticed injuries
on the hindquarters of a
250 lb. calf. The cow and
calf were removed from
the public land grazing
allotment in the Harl Butte
area and hauled to the
home ranch.
Wolf depredation was
suspected and ODFW
examined the calf the fol-
lowing morning. The calf
was alert and responsive;
the injuries were estimated
to be seven days old.
Bite wounds were found
on the right flank and
both hindquarters above
the hocks. Exposed tissue
damage was evident on the
left hind leg. These injuries
are clear indicators of
predator attack.
The injured calf had an
open wound four inches
long and three inches
wide with deeply dam-
aged muscle tissue on the
posterior medial portion of
the hind left leg above the
hock. There were multiple
bite scrapes (up to 3/8
inch wide and 5 inches
long) above the hocks on
both legs. There were bite
scrapes and an open wound
(1 by 1/2 inch) on the right
flank. The size, location,
and direction of the bite
scrapes and location of
the tissue damage on both
hindquarters are consistent
with wolf attack points.
The calf’s exact loca-
tion at the time of injury is
unknown. GPS radio-collar
data shows wolf OR50 was
within this grazing pasture
near the time the calf was
estimated injured.
The size, directionality,
and location of the bite
marks, coupled with the se-
verity of tissue damage and
location of open wounds,
are consistent with wolf
depredation. This evidence
is adequate to confirm the
injuries as wolf depreda-
tion attributed to a wolf or
wolves of the Harl Butte
Pack.
On August 28, 2017 the price of the America the
Beautiful—The National Parks and Federal Recreational
Lands Senior Pass will increase from $10 to $80 as result
of the National Park Service Centennial Act P.L. 114-289.
The National Park Service Centennial Act raised the
price of the senior pass (currently $10) so that it is on par
with the cost of a regular annual pass (currently $80).
It also authorizes a $20 annual pass for senior citizens.
Increasing the onetime cost for those 62 and older to the
current level of the annual pass is a reasonable way to
help insure our parks and federal recreation areas will
remain available for future generations. As stewards, the
BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and
future generations, supporting conservation.
Senior passes purchased before August 28 are still good
for life. The current $10 Senior Pass will continue to be
sold until the $80 senior pass is implemented August 28.