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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2017)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 16, 2017 A7 ODFW kills two wolves for repeated attacks on cattle By Eric Mortenson EO Media Group Staff with Oregon De- partment of Fish and Wild- life shot and killed two adult wolves in response to multi- ple attacks on cattle grazing in Wallowa County. Department spokeswom- an Michelle Dennehey said one uncollared wolf was killed Sunday night and a second was shot Tuesday morning. One was shot from the ground and one from the air, she said. ODFW will monitor the situation and could take ad- ditional action if remaining members of the Harl Butte pack continue to attack live- stock, she said. Ranchers in the area have complained about the pack for some time and asked ODFW to kill the entire pack, which included 10 wolves at the end of 2016 and at least seven this past spring. They said the pack operated in an area that put them within striking range of several herds grazing on public or private land. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Asso- ciation said the dry summer caused deer and elk to re- treat higher into the moun- tains, making cattle “easy targets” for wolves. Todd Nash, an area rancher and county com- missioner who is the OCA’s wolf committee chair, said he was disappointed by ODFW’s decision to kill only two wolves. “We have seen this hap- pen before and we fully ex- pect more cattle to be killed. It’s a very unfortunate way to do business,” he said in a prepared statement. ODFW confirmed the Harl Butte pack attacked cattle seven times since July 2016. Ranchers or a hired range rider interrupted at- tacks seven other times by shooting at wolves, charging them on horseback or other- wise chasing them away. Conservation groups opposed ODFW using le- thal control against the wolves. Ranchers believe the Harl Butte Pack is made up of remnants from the Imna- ha Pack, which was notori- ous for attacking livestock. ODFW killed four members of that group in March 2016 after multiple attacks. How- ever, ODFW said DNA an- alyzed from OR-50, a Harl Butte wolf that was captured and collared, “showed no fa- milial relationship to wolves of the Imnaha pack.” The department issued a lethal control order last week, announcing its inten- tion to kill two adults. Den- nehey, the spokeswoman, said ODFW hopes the re- maining pack members will change their behavior. She said ODFW will monitor the situation and share informa- tion with producers and the range rider. The collar worn by OR- 50 provides notice of the pack’s location. Governor signs bill to raise smoking age to 21 By Paris Achen Capital Bureau Oregon has become the third state to raise the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21. Gov. Kate Brown signed the legislation into law Wednesday, Aug. 9. The new requirements take effect immediately. The law, co-sponsored by a Republican and Democrat, aligns the legal age to pur- chase tobacco and nicotine products with that already established for alcohol and marijuana. Raising the legal age to buy tobacco products “significantly reduces the number of youth who begin using these products and become addicted to them, saving Oregonians billions of tax dollars, and the lives of thousands of loved ones, each year,” said co-sponsor Rep. Rich Vial, R-Scholls, last month. The law enacts fines ranging from $50 to $1,000 for individuals or businesses that distribute or sell such products to buyers younger than 21. The new regula- tions also ban a 21-year-old from possessing tobacco or nicotine when on a postsec- ondary education campus, effective Jan. 1. Vial and Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Bea- verton, sponsored the legis- lation to help prevent youth from becoming addicted to tobacco. About 1,800 Oregon kids become smokers every year and an alarming 24 percent of Oregon’s 11th-grad- ers report using tobacco products. The increase in sales age will keep tobacco products out of high schools, where young teens often access Known Oregon wolf packs Confirmed pack/individual range (As of Dec. 31, 2016) Estimated pack/individual range NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. 82 395 84 Portland Pendleton 197 Unnamed Heppner 5 26 Salem Minam Meacham 97 101 Chesnimnus Wenaha Shamrock Snake Walla Walla River N. Emily OR30 Desolation 22 Mt. Emily Catherine 26 84 Harl Butte OR29/36 OR37 20 26 126 OREGON Bend Eugene 20 97 58 Silver Lake OR25 5 101 Rogue N Keno (status unknown) 25 miles 199 Medford 5 *At least one breeding pair 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 Source: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (cont.) Total Keno Heppner Silver Lake OR30 pair Chesnimnus* Harl Butte* N. Emily OR29/36 Lone/misc. Minimum total 1 3 1 2 9 10 3 2 7 112 Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Prairie City residents encouraged not to use water outside Blue Mountain Eagle Prairie City offi cials con- tinue to ask residents not to use city water outside of their homes. After lightning damaged the electronics controlling the city’s water system June 26, the city has experienced a water shortage. Offi cials have requested water be re- served for emergency ser- vices if a fi re occurs. Resi- dents are encouraged not to use water on lawns, to fi ll pools or to wash cars. The Prairie City City Council Aug. 9 authorized Mayor Jim Hamsher to de- clare a state of emergency regarding the water supply, if and when it is needed and the councilors are unavailable for a meeting. Contributed photo Prairie City City Councilor Carole Garrison waters city planters with a 30-gallon drum of ditch water and the city’s Arctic Cat. Because of a water shortage caused by lightning damage, city officials continue to ask residents not to use city water outside of their homes for uses such as watering lawns, filling pools and washing cars. With the help of the community’s preservation efforts, offi cials hope to lift the water restrictions soon, according to City Recorder Taci Philbrook. Inshallah Ranch Grant County, OR Oregon state capitol in Salem. them from older classmates, according to advocates with the American Can- cer Society Cancer Action Network. About 95 percent of adult smokers started smoking be- fore age 21, according to the Cancer Action Network. Health advocates hope a reduction in young smokers will translate into fewer to- bacco-related diseases, the state’s leading cause of pre- ventable death. The statewide law would follow a similar law enacted in Lane County in March. Oregon follows Hawaii and California in raising the legal age to buy tobacco. Hawaii adopted an age 21 threshold in 2015, followed by California last year. More than 200 cities and counties, including New York City and Boston, have similar laws. Despite endorsements from public health advo- cates and an easy passage in the Senate, the bill faced a setback when tobacco company Altria hired for- mer state Sen. Margaret Carter, D-Portland, to lobby against the measure, accord- ing to a story by Willamette Week. Carter, the first black woman elected to the Ore- gon Legislature, argued to lawmakers that raising the legal age could prompt ra- cial profiling of minority youth, according to the al- ternative-weekly article. The House Rules Com- mittee amended the bill Monday, July 3, to eliminate the potential for that prob- lem and ensure individuals younger than 21 are not pe- nalized for possessing to- bacco. The Inshallah Ranch is known throughout the state for its exceptional big game hunting. Located in Grant County, Oregon midway between Burns and John Day, it is a first class cattle and hunting ranch. The ranch has 12,000 acres of deeded ground and 12,000 acres USFS grazing permits. 564 acres water rights. 5 houses, first class improvements and private location. Ranch is exceptionally well watered with 50+ springs and numerous creeks. Trophy bull elk in the 350-400 class, Mule deer in the 170-210 class. 9,900,000 $ Contact M.T. Anderson, 541-377-0030 or MTAnderson@CraterLakeRealtyInc.com. • 12,000 deeded acres • 2 USFS allotments • 50+ springs • 564 acres of water rights • FREE irrigation water • 1000 acres of meadows • 5 dwellings • incredible improvements • Huge bucks and bulls • 6 LOP tags for mule deer • 6 LOP tags for elk Linda L. Long, Broker Crater Lake Realty, Inc. Phone: 541-891-5562 linda@craterlakerealtyinc.com Main Office: 541-783-2759 33550 Hwy. 97 N Chiloquin, OR 97624 06033 06024
