Wallowa County Chieftain
News
wallowa.com
April 8, 2015
A5
Study puts numbers on cost of wolves
Below is a “snap shot”,
simplistic view of the eco-
nomic impact of wolves on
rural communities based upon
a six year, ongoing study con-
ducted by Dr. Doug Johnson,
OSU, Dr. Larry Larson, OSU,
and John Williams, OSU –
Beef Extension specialist
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details are available through
these individuals.
Economic Impact on a 100
cow/calf pair operation in for-
ested grazing areas:
1. 8-12 fewer calves come
off of grazing due to wolf pre-
dation... $13,000
2. Calves average 30-50
lbs. less at weaning due to ha-
rassment by wolves... $7,000
3. All cows come off of the
range thinner... $5,000
It takes 5-10 lbs. of extra
energy and protein per cow
per day to restore her to ade-
quate shape to calf properly,
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baby calf for the winter and
breed back.
4. Fewer cows breed back
while under harassment on the
range... $5,600
These un-bred cows must
be sold in the fall and replaced
with either young heifers from
the herd, which reduces calves
available to sell, or replace-
ment cows purchased to main-
tain an effective herd size.
5. Management costs in-
crease due to supervision and
preventative measures while
cattle are on large, forested
range plot and in winter calv-
ing areas. (Range riders, vet
treatment of injured calves,
various preventative mea-
sures, etc.)... $9,000
Total lost income on 100
ming. Presently almost all of
the forested range area in Wal-
lowa and Union counties have
Doug Johnson
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Larry Larson
and depredation are greatest
John Williams
in the portions of Wallowa
County nearest the Idaho bor-
cow/calf pairs based on Janu- der. Umatilla and Baker coun-
ary 2015 cattle prices: $39,600 ties both have packs and two
Related important data more known packs exist, one
based on the 2013 State of Or- in the Desolation area and one
egon Agriculture census:
in SW Oregon.
Wallowa County: Cows
Agriculture
economists
38,500, Calves 21,500
fundamentally agree that it
Union County: Cows takes a herd of between 350
33,500, Calves 19,100
and 400 head to provide a
The above data is not middle income living for a
PHDQW WR UHÀHFW IRU family of four. The loss of
every 100 cows in each coun- about $140,000 for such a
ty, as the wolf density present- family trickles down into all of
ly varies by area; however the the fabric of these rural com-
potential exists if wolf num- munities. Fewer dollars are
bers ever approach the density available for local businesses
of the forested populations in and services, such as schools,
Idaho, Montana and Wyo- health care and law enforce-
ANALYSIS
ment. These losses in natural
resource based counties fur-
ther increase the economic
disparities that exist between
the rural and urban Oregon
economies. Ranchers in north-
east Oregon have proven over
the last 5 years that they un-
derstand that the presence of
wolves is a reality and have
worked tirelessly within the
law to survive, but further
expansion of wolves beyond
the minimum number listed
in the Oregon wolf plan is not
acceptable. While the State
has made an honest attempt
to help reduce the economic
impact, the dollars available
are so limited and the reim-
bursement areas so narrow (1
in 7 of the animals killed by
wolves are ever found — 2003
study) that these, although
well meaning, are not close
to meeting the real economic
impact of high wolf popula-
tions. Cattle populations are
much larger in Malheur and
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range grazing operations on
more open country. Present-
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data to predict if the impact of
wolves in areas such as these
will be greater or less than the
more forested area. Ranchers
in Wallowa, Union, Umatilla,
and Baker counties are suf-
fering from wolf harassment
and predation in varying de-
grees and this problem will
get worse as wolf numbers
increase and expansion moves
to far more rural counties.
Note: This analysis was
originally published in “Or-
egon Beef Producer” maga-
zine, published by the Oregon
Cattlmen’s Association.
JABBERWOCK: Dam
crumbling, needs repair
RESPONSE: Local food indeed better
Continued from Page A4
workers on those huge farms
are treated like slaves.
Yes, you can’t get a local
strawberry in January, as the
unnamed author of this (Capital
Press) piece brilliantly pointed
out. But the non-local straw-
berry you can get? Do you
know how whoever picked it
was being treated? And does
that non-local strawberry even
taste good? Or was it picked
nearly green so that it tastes like
a mildly-sweet-kind-of-straw-
berry?
Because taste is the most
fun part of eating local food.
Try it for yourself: try a straw-
berry from the Wallowa County
Farmers Market this summer,
in Enterprise Thursday 4-7 and
Joseph Saturdays 10-2, and
compare it to a strawberry from
Mexico in January, and tell me
that they aren’t two entirely dif-
ferent animals. The local straw-
berry will be smaller, sweeter,
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One day, a bicycle trail will
circle Wallowa Lake and the
jury is still out if the proposed
63-mile rail-and-trail between
Joseph and Elgin is feasible,
and if so, if it will be built. But
the bountiful future of Wallowa
County doesn’t stop there.
There remains the matter of
privately owned Wallowa Lake
Dam, described by some as the
most important asset in the val-
ley. Were that crumbling struc-
ture visible from the highway,
it’s likely more urgency would
be placed on its repair. In fact,
it’s unconscionable that so much
water, without compensation, is
“dumped” over the dam because
that dam is too unsafe to hold
more than 72 percent of the wa-
ter it was designed to hold.
Growers in the Umatilla Ba-
sin, insistent their interests only
include excess water and not
that needed in Wallowa County,
appear willing to pay for dam
repairs in return for a long-term
guarantee of water from the
lake. But who would broker this
deal? The dam owners are farm-
ers, not contract negotiators.
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and Paul, you willing to give
it a shot?
Jabberwock II columnist
Rocky Wilson is a reporter for
the Chieftain.
LETTERS: Plato not wise
Continued from Page A4
As the present state of the
world attests, not only has
Plato not been much of an
antidote, he has been an ad-
vance carrier of the plague for
which an antidote is required.
With particular regard to the
world’s present state, Mr.
McColgan should be congrat-
ulated for limiting himself,
now, to wreathing Plato for
having predicted it. The phi-
losopher did have the mind to
do himself proud there — if
we allow for his dismal fail-
ure to predict (let alone sire or
inspire) the birth of an actual
republic in another partial age
of enlightenment. Above all,
however, let us concede Mr.
McColgan’s new and more
gingerly thesis — Plato’s
relevance to what we see all
around us. No doubt about
that humble little matter.
Tom Anderson
Wallowa
Continued from Page A4
Are you overwhelmed
with the stress?
tremely nutritious. The straw-
berry from Mexico will be large
and Styrofoam-like.
Right now, the Lower Valley
Farmers Market is open in Wal-
lowa Fridays 12-6 and Satur-
days 11-4. It is open year-round,
and in the winter offers a variety
of canned and frozen local pro-
duce, processed at the peak of
its nutritional content. At Lower
Valley Farmers Market, Bear
Creek Gardens has the most
delightful bags of spring lettuc-
es, mixed with micro greens.
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the same price as the stuff from
Mexico, and packs a nutrition-
al punch that would knock-out
those sad little plastic clam-
shells. And, might I mention,
100% listeria free?
Cited: (http://graphics.la-
times.com/product-of-mexi-
co-camps/)
Lauren Johnson, a Resource
Assistance for Rural Environ-
ments (RARE) Americorps
volunteer, serves as communi-
ty food systems coordinator in
Wallowa County. She’s based in
Enterprise, at the Northeast Or-
egon Economic Development
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Wallowa County Cruisers
Join us on this
12 night Mediterranean cruise
planned for October 2016.
$400.00 pp refundable deposit
confirms your cabin on
the NCL SPIRIT.
For info contact
Larry Wagner 541-215-0309
or Jim Clegg 541-398-1333
Do you feel hopeless or has
the joy gone out of your life?
Are you struggling to keep
your family together?
I can help!
A few sessions can make a big difference.
Jeff Harman, MA., LPC
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6 H Q L R U V S H R S O H Z L W K G L V D E L O L W L H V I D P L O L H V D Q G F D U H J L Y H U V
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To schedule an appointment call Jeff Harman • (541) 426-3067
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THEY KNOW
what’s going on in
state government
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