Washington wolf plan faces unknown future
The final public meeting on Washington state’s wolf recovery plan took place in Spokane yesterday. Anti-wolf extremists turned out to spread fear about the potential impacts of wolves on livestock, big game, and people. But there was a lot of support expressed for wolves and a strong wolf plan as well, from Defenders members and many colleagues. Currently, Washington has only about two dozen wolves in five different packs, and very few livestock depredations have been confirmed to date. Yet some Washington residents have already bought into trumped-up stories about “devastating livestock losses” and the “decimation” of herds of elk and deer.
Defenders wolf expert Suzanne Stone travelled to Spokane to testify about the real (i.e., positive) impacts that wolves can have on the landscape. She also brought along Blaine County Commissioner Larry Schoen to talk about the success of the Wood River Wolf Project, which implements nonlethal deterrents to minimize conflict between livestock and wolves. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission was very interested in hearing from an elected official who actually had some experience with wolves. There is no reason Washington should not have a strong, robust wolf plan, but it’s up to the citizens of Washington to insist on it. We would like to thank our members and colleagues in Washington who have already commented in support of wolves and urge those who haven’t to weigh in.
Oregon bed and breakfast banned over support for wolves
What do wolf politics have to do with building a barn? For some folks in eastern Oregon, the two appear to be nearly indistinguishable. At a recent Wallowa County Planning Commission meeting, area ranchers vociferously opposed a couple’s request to build a barn to house guests on their property just because they’ve associated with environmental groups. Diana and James Hunter already own and operate Barking Mad Farm, a bed-and-breakfast outside Joseph that caters to visitors from all walks of life. But since their guests have included members of groups that support wolf recovery in the state (including Defenders staff), some ranchers are eager to prevent them from expanding their operation.
Of course, Wallowa County ranchers are often the ones adamantly defending private property rights whenever they want to kill a wolf, but they are not willing to extend those rights to suspected wolf supporters. The situation is so ridiculously hypocritical that even the typically pro-rancher Wallowa County Chieftain editorialized on the subject, calling the kerfuffle “an attack on that party’s freedom of association.” The Hunters’ friendly associations are no more relevant to planning decisions than their religious affiliation, the Chieftain said.
Will wolves make it to Eugene?
Last weekend, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that a lone wolf known by the identifier OR-7 had made it over the Cascades range and into western Oregon. The map ODFW released tracking the movements of the wolf show it coming with 50 miles of Eugene. The dispersing male did not take a lady friend with him, however, so it’s unclear how long he might remain in the area. But the University of Oregon may want to start thinking about changing their mascot from the mighty Ducks to the howling Wolves, just in case.
Idaho hunt passes 100
Wolf hunts continue as Idaho officially recorded its 100th kill of the season. Montana hunters have also picked up the pace, killing about 20 more wolves in the past week. Still, Montana wildlife officials are anticipating that hunters won’t meet their quota of 220 wolves before the end of the season and have requested permission to extend the season to try to meet it. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission will consider a proposal at its meeting next week that would allow the season to be extended another month, from the end of the year until January 31, 2012.
Carter tells all
Outdoor writer Todd Wilkinson sat down to interview former federal trapper and wolf recovery coordinator Carter Niemeyer about his recent memoir Wolfer. Here are a few highlights from the conversation about Carter’s 25-plus-year career investigating livestock depredations and being at the center of the wolf controversy…
On impacts to ungulates:
“I have never bought into the belief that wolves are wiping out the deer, elk and moose in the Northern Rockies. Wolves prey on all of these ungulate species and in areas of high wolf density some localized elk herds are showing some declines. Overall, elk are doing great in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and are at or above management objectives according to fish and game reports based on big game surveys and trend studies.”
On predator control:
“Killing predators to protect livestock is a short-term fix to a long term problem. Studies have shown that predators become more prolific and resilient to ongoing predator control programs, which doesn’t excuse these programs. We have been using federal money to kill coyotes in the lower 48 states and yet coyote numbers and distribution have increased nationwide. Where is the thinking there?”
On minimizing livestock losses:
“I think livestock producers should make every effort to minimize losses to predators by using shepherds, guard dogs, range riders and keeping a close eye on their flocks and herds and keeping the range clear of livestock carcasses when feasible.
“While many livestock producers are doing a good job of minimizing predator/livestock conflicts, some are not. Only when a chronic situation exists where predators become a persistent problem on federal land should federal predator control be applied.”
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