Wallowa County Chieftain
News
wallowa.com
Ranchers, environmentalists
voice objections to
Oregon Wolf Plan update
By Mateusz Perkowski
Known Oregon wolf packs
Capital Bureau
Confirmed pack/individual range
SALEM — It seems no one
is pleased with the redraft of
the Oregon Wolf Conservation
and Management Plan. Fish
and Wildlife commissioners
decided Friday to delay a vote
until January or February on
the updates.
Environmental groups are
alarmed by a proposal that
would authorize lethal con-
trol of wolves in Eastern
Oregon after only two live-
stock kills under “extreme
circumstances.”
The regular threshold
would be three livestock kills
in 12 months, but the cur-
rent draft of the Oregon Wolf
Conservation and Manage-
ment Plan would reduce it to
two kills if non-lethal methods
proved ineffective or couldn’t
be implemented.
“It moves too quickly to
lethal control,” said Noah
Greenwald, endangered spe-
cies director for the Center of
Biological Diversity, during a
Dec. 8 hearing in Salem, Ore.
Wolves in Eastern Oregon
have been delisted under the
federal Endangered Species
Act, but they’re still regulated
by the state government.
Representatives of live-
stock and hunting groups also
found plenty they didn’t like
about the plan, which the Ore-
gon Department of Fish and
Wildlife is updating.
For example, the plan sets
a minimum population thresh-
old of 300 wolves through
2022 but it doesn’t ensure that
any particular zone doesn’t
become overpopulated with
the predators, said Todd Nash,
wolf committee chairman
of the Oregon Cattlemen’s
Association.
“Nowhere does it address
a maximum number,” Nash
said.
Ranchers would like to see
the agency create management
units with caps on wolf num-
bers, but these suggestions
have been largely disregarded,
he said.
Currently, Oregon is esti-
mated to have more than 100
wolves.
W
Student of the
Mackenzie Scott
ALT ED
NOTE: Polygons represent estimated
ranges for known wolf packs with
radio-collared animals.
82
Portland
Pendleton
197
Unnamed
Heppner
5
26
Minam
Meacham
97
101
Chesnimnus
Wenaha Shamrock
Snake
Walla Walla
River
N. Emily
395
84
Salem
(As of Dec. 31, 2016)
Estimated pack/individual range
OR30
Desolation
22
Mt.
Emily
Catherine
26
84
Harl
Butte
OR29/36
OR37
20
26
126
Bend
Eugene
OREGON
20
97
58
OR25
5
Silver
Lake
101
Rogue
N
Keno (status unknown)
25 miles
199
Medford
5
*At least one breeding pair
Source: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Based on trends seen in
Idaho and Montana, however,
that number can be expected
to climb steeply in the coming
years, for which the current
draft plan fails to account, said
Jim Akenson, conservation
director for the Oregon Hunt-
ers Association.
“I don’t know why in the
world we would not look to
our neighbors to see what will
happen here,” Akenson said.
The Oregon Farm Bureau
would like to see the plan
provide a greater allow-
ance for lethal wolf con-
trol when they’re near homes
or if they threaten livestock,
pets and people, said Kevin
Johnson, the organization’s
representative.
The agency should also
increase its focus on collar-
ing wolves as their population
increases, so their movements
and potential livestock inter-
actions would continue to be
monitored, he said.
Ranchers feel the plan is
overly prescriptive in its wolf
management policies despite
expectations of a surging pop-
ulation, Johnson said. “They
don’t feel like their positions
are being heard.”
Environmental groups, on
the other hand, claim the plan
is overly reliant on lethal wolf
control, which they say is often
ineffective.
“Lethal control has often
395
Ontario
Wolf pack population
Pack/area
Total
Wenaha*
Walla Walla*
Snake River*
Minam*
12
11
9
11
Mt. Emily
Meacham*
Rogue
8
7
6
Desolation
Shamrock
Catherine*
1
4
5
(cont.)
Keno
Heppner
Silver Lake
OR30 pair
Chesnimnus*
Harl Butte*
N. Emily
OR29/36
Lone/misc.
Minimum total
Total
1
3
1
2
9
10
3
2
7
112
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
not stopped depredations,”
said Nick Cady, legal director
for Cascadia Wildlands.
The loss of a top pack mem-
ber can cause the remaining
wolves to become increasingly
desperate and more likely to
attack domesticated livestock,
said Greenwald of the Center
for Biological Diversity.
“There’s increasing science
that it creates more problems
than it fixes,” he said.
The current draft plan
doesn’t
benefit
anyone
“whether they’re wearing cow-
boy hats or driving Priuses,”
said Rob Klavins, Northeast
Oregon field coordinator for
Oregon Wild.
“This irresponsible and
unscientific plan should be
shelved,” he said.
Scientists who the agency
found credible enough to cite
in the plan have objected to
how their research was applied,
Klavins said. “Those scientists
deserve a direct response.”
December 13, 2017
LIBRARY
Continued from Page A1
believes it makes sense for
the district to pay rent as well.
It made no sense for the city
to provide money for utili-
ties and maintain the build-
ing when citizens are already
paying out of their pocket for
a district, Pritchard said.
Christman agreed.
“I don’t think the city needs
to chip in anything on that,”
said Christman. “We don’t
even have to let the district
have the building. I think they
need to be aware of what it
costs to have it, and that needs
to be part of their plan and if
they don’t have enough money,
that’s their problem and it’s not
the city’s problem.”
Rautenstrauch
pointed
out that the whole point
of the library district is to
improve services and any
small savings (such as rent)
would mean more money to
spend to increase hours, pro-
grams and outreach.
Council members seemed
unclear on what they would
lose if the county library
closed, believing that pro-
graming would remain the
same for Enterprise even after
the county library closed.
Hours would remain the same,
they said.
“Until they (the Wallowa
Valley Library Foundation)
give us a list of the things
they’re going to provide that
we’re not providing now,
I’m dragging my feet,” said
Christman.
Rautenstrauch
replied
with a partial list of the
“more” without discussing
what would be lost when the
county library closed and took
the grant writer and program
director out of the equation.
Mayor Karvoski said that
Enterprise was in a unique
position in that they already
provided good library hours.
“The citizens, if this
passes, will be paying extra
money for hardly any other
PAC
Continued from Page A1
Another common misunderstanding is that
grant dollars to support the many programs
would continue to come in, and programs
would continue to be offered. Polumsky writes
the bulk of the grants and oversees the pro-
grams. If Polumsky’s position is erased, there
will be no one available to write and oversee
grants.
services,” she said.
Rautenstrauch pointed out
that the open hours would be
significantly extended under
the district plan. She did not
mention the many programs
that would disappear when the
county library closed.
Christman was also under
the impression that, if the
library district were approved,
the city could lose all control
of its building.
“The city could line out
whatever they want (in a pro-
posal) and the new (library
district board) could tell the
city where to do with it. They
don’t have to listen to us,”
Christman said.
Karvoski pointed out that
making sure the city had a
voice in how the library was
used was the purpose of hav-
ing a formal proposal “lined
out” in advance.
The council decided to
have the Library committee
come up with several propos-
als and present them at the
next meeting.
The PAC will present more facts and fig-
ures to the community in an effort to clarify
the situation in the coming months.
Many of the attendees at the December
PAC meeting signed on to be part of commit-
tees to work on budgeting, media and adver-
tising, networking, endorsement relationships,
fundraising and organization. More volun-
teers are needed. Contact volunteer coordina-
tor Bombaci 541-778-0055.
SAY GOOD-BYE
Programs Wallowa County will lose
without a district to support the county
library.
• Troy and Imnaha library branches,
serving residents and both school
locations
• Classroom and homeschool curriculum
support
• “Deliver-me-a-book” for seniors and
homebound
• Community Clubs (cribbage, puzzle
exchange, exercise class)
• Community Service worker site
• Training Wheels program
• Leap into Literacy storytimes
• Free children’s books
• Rotation book bags
• Newborn Baby book bags
• Up & Away after-school programs
• Literacy packets
• Parent education resources
• Read Early, Read Often campaign
• Read 1,000 books before kindergarten
challenge
• Preschool Science programs
• Kindergarten Readiness activities
• Social Media Services (early Literacy
and Learning; gardening; travel Pinterest
boards; Facebook).
eek
Despite being new to
Alt Ed and Wallowa County,
Mackenzie Scott has impressed
us from the beginning.
His amazing attendance,
positive attitude and
willingness to give 100% on
all assignments have resulted
in a 3.7 GPA for the first
quarter. His grades continue
to improve, as does his
participation and leadership in
the classroom. We are so glad
to have Mackenzie in our
Alt Ed Classroom.
Proudly sponsored by
A9
Joseph
432-9050
Enterprise
426-4511
Wallowa
886-9151
The Student of the Week is chosen for
academic achievement and community
involvement. Students are selected
by the administrators of
their respective schools.
STAY WARM
with
201 E. Hwy 82 • Enterprise
541-426-0320
Sales & Service
Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Serving Wallowa County
• Convenient Delivery • Residential •
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