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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2016)
A18 News wallowa.com May 18, 2016 Wallowa County Chieftain Workshop focuses on wolf management By George Plaven East Oregonian Despite killing four wolves from the Imnaha Pack earlier this year for repeatedly attack- ing livestock, the Oregon De- partment of Fish & Wildlife re- iterated the value of non-lethal deterrents during a workshop Friday in Pendleton. Eastern Oregon ranchers and county oficials gathered at Blue Mountain Community College to hear presentations on the science and economics of dealing with wolves. The workshop featured speakers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Ser- vices. ODFW also provided an update on the state’s Wolf Conservation and Manage- ment Plan, which is now up for review. Roblyn Brown, the depart- ment’s acting wolf program coordinator, said the wolf pop- ulation is growing rapidly in Oregon — there were at least 110 wolves counted by the end of last year, compared to just 14 in 2009. Yet the num- ber of conirmed attacks on livestock has stayed relatively lat, which Brown said is due in part to the use and effective- ness of non-lethal tools. “We’re iguring things out,” Brown said. “Non-le- thals can absolutely work in certain situations.” The most important thing, Stock photo Brown said, is for ranchers to make sure they clean up their bone piles to avoid attracting wolves onto their property in the irst place. Things like ladry fencing, range riders, guard dogs and alarm boxes can be effective deterrents, at least temporarily, if they’re used correctly. Ranchers are doing a much better job now than they were when the plan was irst im- plemented, Brown said. The number of conirmed wolf depredations was even down slightly in 2015, compared to 2014. But non-lethals don’t work every time, which is why Phase II of the wolf plan allows wildlife oficials to se- lectively kill problem wolves. In the case of the four Im- naha wolves, Brown said there were a number of factors that prompted ODFW to use le- thal control. First, the wolves had apparently changed their behavior and started moving outside of their usual territo- ry. Second, the group’s alpha female had a back leg injury, which could have prompt- ed the group to target easier meals. Finally, non-lethal de- terrents had proven ineffec- tive in keeping wolves away from sheep and cattle. Brown compared that to another series of attacks last year by the Mount Emily Pack on sheep in the Umatil- la National Forest. All ive of those incidents came against a single band of sheep, and by the time the producer asked for lethal control, Brown said non-lethal tools had started to work. “ODFW will evaluate each situation when they’re mak- ing a determination about when to go to lethal control,” Brown said. The agency’s focus, how- ever, continues to be on non-lethals irst. With the ev- idence suggesting deterrents are effective, the workshop shifted to community-wide models for rural areas where wolves are re-established. Suzanne Asha Stone, se- nior Northwest represen- tative for the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife, pointed to a few successful programs across the West — most notably the Wood River Wolf Project in central Idaho, where there’s the largest con- centration of domestic sheep in the region. Stone said the program pulls together ideas and fund- ing from ranchers, agencies and wolf advocates alike to implement non-lethal solu- tions. More groups are start- ing to take this approach, she said, because it makes more resources more broadly avail- able. “The challenge is that it really requires a lot of good communication,” Stone said. Between 2008 and 2015, Stone said they’ve had any- where from 10,000 to 23,000 sheep on the land, yet they’ve only lost 30 of the animals to wolves over that period. “Some of our best solutions have come from that mix of people that don’t usually talk to each other,” she said. Stone said she was encour- aged by how county wolf com- mittees were working together to ensure ranchers are com- pensated for dead or missing livestock due to wolves. Both Susan Roberts, of Wallowa County, and Jerry Baker, of Umatilla County, were on hand to discuss how their com- mittees reach out to producers and submit applications for state grants. Regardless of each indi- vidual’s opinion on wolves, Roberts said they have learned to check their attitudes at the door. Producers, meanwhile, are getting better at document- ing everything, which means they stand a better chance of getting a slice of the funds. Baker also emphasized the need for ranchers to pro- vide as much documentation as possible to the committee. He said the county has devel- oped a positive relationship with ODFW, especially when it comes to implementing non-lethal deterrents. “I know the range riders have helped a lot, if they’re in the right place at the right time,” said Baker, who him- self is a livestock producer. “I think we’re learning as we go.” State distributes wolf compensation funds Wallowa County Chieftain The Oregon Department of Agriculture has approved $129,664 in funding to be distributed to 13 counties as part of the Oregon Wolf Dep- redation Compensation and Financial Assistance County Block Grant Program. Funds for 2016 have been distribut- ed for actual livestock losses or injuries caused by wolves, for missing livestock above the normal historical levels in areas of known wolf activity, for proactive efforts to pre- vent wolf and livestock inter- actions, and for county wolf program implementation. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wild- life, Oregon’s 2015 wolf pop- ulation increased 36 percent from the previous year to 110 Flowy and flattering dresses! Check out the NEW Reversible dress! Women’s size Sm-Xlg wolves. Wallowa, Umatilla and Baker counties continued to experience the bulk of the state’s wolf activity and have received $101,953 — ap- proximately 78 percent of the money awarded for 2016. The state has paid 100 per- cent of the claims submitted to ODA tied to conirmed or probable livestock losses due to wolves. Livestock owners worked with the Oregon De- partment of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to document these losses. Payments are made on a reimbursement basis for depredations that occurred during the previous grant cy- cle. Wallowa, Klamath, and Umatilla were the only coun- ties iling claims with ODA that experienced conirmed or probable livestock losses in the 2015 cycle. These three counties are being awarded $10,614 to compensate af- fected ranchers for losses due to death and/or injury. Wal- lowa County received $3,887, Klamath County received $3,796, and Umatilla County received $2,931 for compen- sation. Of the total funding pro- vided by the block grants this year, $71,500 — or 55 per- cent — is going toward pro- active, non-lethal efforts to re- duce conlicts between wolves and livestock. County-level advisory committees estab- lished by the grant program’s legislation requested funds to undertake proactive conlict deterrence efforts. Historical- ly, these deterrent techniques include one or more of the fol- lowing activities: · Reducing attractants– bone pile removal, carcass disposal sites · Barriers– fencing, ladry, electriied ladry · Human presence– range riders, herders · Livestock protection Open Daily 10am – 5pm Did you hear? Uptown Clothing & Accessories in Downtown Joseph 12 S. Main St. • 541-432-9653 has the best selection of electric and gas appliances! 201 East Hwy 82 Enterprise, OR 97828 541.426.0320 dogs and other guarding ani- mals · Alarm or scare devic- es– Radio-Activated-Guard (RAG) device, other light and sound making devices · Hazing or harassment of wolves– loud noises, spot- lights, or other confrontation with wolves · Livestock management/ husbandry changes– changing pastures, night feeding, re- duced calving period, birthing earlier, changing herd structure · Experimental practices– bio-fencing, belling cattle · Public outreach/education for ranchers A total of $5,335 was awarded to nine counties to help with administrative costs. The following is a list of the total awards made by ODA to counties as part of the Oregon Wolf Depredation Compensa- tion and Financial Assistance County Block Grant Program for the 2016 Grant Period: · Umatilla, $52,778 · Wallowa, $26,887 · Baker, $22,288 · Klamath, $8,796 · Union, $5,000 · Morrow, $3,675 · Lake, $3,000 · Crook, $2,000 · Wasco, $1,750 · Wheeler, $1,250 · Sherman, $1,250 · Malheur, $495 · Jackson, $495 The fund process remains available for counties to ad- dress depredations that occur in the future. In that event, livestock operators should submit claims to their local county wolf advisory com- mittee. L N I ONA AT EV Nancy Bailey is moving to Redmond. ENT This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Come help make sure she’ll miss us! 800 S River St. Enterprise, OR • 9am-5:30pm Monday - Friday • 9am-12pm Saturdays • 541-426-9228 After 35 years in Baker City, Nancy is relocating to our Northwest FCS office in Redmond to be closer to family. Try as we might, we can’t compete with grandchildren. Come help us share stories and memories, laughter and tears as we send Nancy off in style. Open House May 25 | 2-5 p.m. Baker City Branch Office 3370 10th Street, Suite B