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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2019)
outdoors ODFW Commission Hears Wolf Report Draft revised Wolf Plan available for review, Commission to consider at June 7 meeting in Salem The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) heard the Wolf Conservation and Management Program Annual Report at their Commission meeting in St. Helens on April 19, 2019. The report was presented by Roblyn Brown, ODFW’s Wolf Program Field Coordinator. Brown reported that the mini- mum known count of wolves in Oregon at the end of 2018 was 137, a 10% in- crease from 2017. Brown said 16 packs were documented, with 15 of those con- taining breeding pairs, a 36% increase from 2017. A pack is defined as four or more wolves traveling together in win- ter. In addition eight groups of two or three wolves were identified. Wolves were discovered in the central Oregon Cascade Mountains in Douglas and Lane counties in late 2018. Wolves in Oregon have increased from less than 20 in 2009 to the current number of 137. ODFW monitored 27 radio-col- lared wolves, including 14 that were cap- tured and collared in 2018. Seven wolf mortalities were documented in 2018, including six that were human caused. ODFW received 71 requests from livestock producers to investigate dead or injured livestock suspected to be wolf depredation. Of those investiga- tions, 28 were confirmed as wolf caused, compared to 17 in 2017. The Oregon De- partment of Agriculture’s compensation program awarded grants of $160,890 to 10 counties in 2018. Funds were used for non-lethal preventive measures and for direct payment for confirmed depre- dations to livestock producers. Wolves living west of Oregon Highways 395/78/95 (Phase 1) continue to be listed as Endangered under the fed- eral Endangered Species Act. In Oregon the Fish and Wildlife Commission re- moved wolves from the Endangered list. A lawsuit was filed by three environmen- tal groups challenging the delisting deci- sion and the case is still pending. Wolves are protected statewide as a special sta- tus game mammal and managed under the Wolf Plan. Wolves in central Oregon (Phase 2) and eastern Oregon (Phase 3) are managed with a continuing emphasis on non-lethal deterrents to reduce live- stock depredation, the use of controlled take in certain situations, and the permit- ting of additional agencies to investigate wolf depredations of livestock. ODFW has released its draft proposed update to the Wolf Conserva- tion and Management Plan, available for review at www.odfw.com/wolves. The Commission is ex- pected to vote on the Plan at its June 7 meeting in Salem. Once adopted, the Plan will be the third edition of the Wolf Plan, which was first ad- opted in 2005 after an extensive public process and revised in 2010. The proposed Draft Plan was written by staff but involved extensive meetings with stake- holders and public comment at several prior Commission meet- ings. In 2018, the Commission also directed ODFW staff to host facili- tated meetings with stakeholders to seek consensus on unresolved issues. The Draft Plan incorporates ideas where consensus was reached, but agreement was not possible on all topics. See a report on the facilitated meetings’ outcomes at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/ Wolves/WPSR.asp. “Wolf management is a polar- izing topic with strong views on all sides, so it’s tough to find consensus,” says Derek Broman, ODFW carnivore and furbearer program coordinator. “But regardless of people’s views on wolves, the wolf population in Oregon is grow- ing in size, number of packs, and packs reproducing, while expanding its range.” Defining chronic depreda- tion that might lead to lethal control of wolves and hunting of wolves are some of the most contentious issues. Staff previously proposed the definition of chronic depredation be three confirmed depredations in a 12-month period in Phase 2 and 3, a change from the cur- rent definition (two confirmed depreda- tions in an unlimited time frame). Due to feedback from stakeholders at the facilitated meetings, the Draft Plan now proposes two confirmed depredations in nine months in Phases 2 and 3 (so the only change from the current definition is a 9-month time restriction). Like the original Plan, the Draft Plan would allow controlled take only in Phase 3 (currently eastern Oregon) in instances of recurring depredations or when wolves are a major cause of ungu- late populations not meeting established management objectives or herd manage- ment goals. ODFW is not proposing any controlled take of wolves at this time, but believes regulated hunting and trap- ping needs to remain a tool available for wolf management. Any proposal for JOBS IN THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY Production workers wanted for entry level sawmill positions Lumber is our business - since 1971 • Competitive wages and benefit package • Starting at $15/hr depending on experience • Must be able to pass drug screen • Must have current driver’s license Apply in person at Olympic Forest Products 69480 Banzer Rd. Mist, OR 97016 Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:00 pm may2 2019 11 controlled take of wolves would require Commission approval through a separate planning and hunt development process. Other major topics addressed in the Draft Plan include: • Wolf-livestock conflict, in- cluding an expanded section on the latest non-lethal tools and techniques for reducing con- flict. • Wolf interactions with native ungulate populations, includ- ing annual ungulate population estimates before and after wolf establishment. Elk, wolves’ pri- mary prey, have increased in some units with wolves, and decreased in others. However, interpretation of the impact of wolf predation on elk is con- founded by management efforts to re- duce elk numbers in units where they are over management objective or to mini- mize conflicts with elk on private land. Mule deer have been below desired lev- els for more than two decades, before wolves’ return to Oregon, with changing land management strategies, invasive weeds, and recent severe weather among the main reasons for their decline. • Wolf population monitoring and poten- tial conservation threats. • Strategies to address wolf-human inter- actions. Public testimony on the Draft Plan will be taken during the June 7 meet- ing and can also be sent to odfw.commis- sion@state.or.us. Emails sent by May 23 will be included with staff proposal as part of the review materials shared with Commissioners prior to the meeting. 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