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OHA responds to legal challenge of wolf control
The Oregon Hunters Association on Oct. 26 filed an amicus brief in the Oregon Court of Appeals supporting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s authority to manage wolves in Oregon, but the Oregon Court of Appeals entered an order denying the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association motion to reconsider the court’s order granting petitioners’ stay, thus preventing ODFW from killing two of the Imnaha wolves.
Three animal protectionist groups, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and the Center for Biological Diversity, sued on Oct. 11 to stop agents from killing two members of the Imnaha wolf pack in Wallowa County for their repeated involvement in documented attacks on livestock.
The groups were successful in obtaining a temporary stay, pending responses by ODFW and others.
OHA joined the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and the Oregon Foundation for North American Wild Sheep in supporting the removal of the wolves as authorized in Oregon’s Wolf Conservation Plan.
Following the court order, OCA filed a motion to request more time to ask the court to reconsider. The motion was granted.
“The Oregon Hunters Association has never welcomed the immigration of imported Canadian gray wolves to Oregon,” said OHA State Coordinator Duane Dungannon, “and we have insisted that OHA be at the table in wolf management discussions since the first wolf crossed our borders. OHA will continue to advocate for responsible management of wolves as authorized in the state’s wolf plan to protect the interests of Oregon’s wildlife and domestic animals.”
Working group targets animal damage solutions
What do seed growers, ranchers, farmers, timber growers, anglers and hunters all have in common? The not so simple answer is predation to our state resources in one form or other. For seed growers, it’s destruction of crops by flocks of thousands of geese; for ranchers and farmers, it’s predation on livestock by wolves and cougars; for timber growers, it’s damage to their forests by bears; for anglers it’s declining fish numbers due to predators like terns and sea lions; and for hunters, it’s predation on big game herds by large predators.
This past year all of these interest groups got together and formed a partnership to address animal damage control in Oregon.
The genesis of this group started earlier this year at a meeting where USDA APHIS Wildlife Services outlined its funding sources and delivery of services. Questions asked at that meeting sparked discussion among user groups, and two subgroups were formed to deal with issues raised.
These two subgroups became known as the “financial” and the “predation” groups. The financial group looked into the financial structure of the Wildlife Services program to determine what sort of help it needed, if any, in delivering services. After the group met a few times it came up with recommendations to streamline the financial accounting system both in the central office and in the field. Those recommendations are currently being implemented.
The other group focused on the predation issue in Oregon and how its current system managed predators. Meeting numerous times around the state, this subgroup looked at how other states deal with the issue of predation. In its research it found that some states have formed user-group management boards that oversee predation programs around the state.
What’s next? The main group met in October to discuss the findings of the two subgroups and determined that it’s important to keep this massive stakeholder group together and develop a system to better manage predation in Oregon. Work has begun on developing legislative concepts to address our concerns and formalize a predation management system statewide. Meetings are scheduled with legislators and the governor’s office to inform them of goals and objectives for management of predation in Oregon.
Commission denies LOP rule changes
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission at its December meeting denied the petition of an Oregon landowner seeking to amend Oregon’s Landowner Preference tag rules to allow the issuance of LOP tags to a landowner owning more than 40 acres in western Oregon even if those acres are not contiguous.
Landowner Jeff Mullins of Rainier presented his petition before the Commission, explaining that he is an owner of 56 acres actively managed as forestland. Under the current program definitions, he does not meet the requirements to receive LOP tags because the acreage he owns and manages consists of three parcels, which do not meet the definition of “40 contiguous acres” needed to qualify for the LOP program.
The Commissioners, after listening to Mullins’ presentation and an overview presentation of the LOP program by ODFW staff, voted unanimously to deny the petition. ODFW staff recommended that the Commission deny the petition. Commissioners noted that some LOP statutes sunset in 2012, and the 2013 legislature will have to revisit the program.
Imnaha wolves kills two more cows after court denies relief
ODFW confirmed on Dec. 13 that wolves from the Imnaha pack had killed another cow. The yearling heifer was found dead on private land in Wallowa County. The next day, ODFW confirmed another livestock depredation by Imnaha pack wolves on the same property. This brings the total number of confirmed livestock losses by Imnaha pack wolves to 20 since spring 2010. It is the fifth confirmed livestock loss to wolves since an Oct. 5, 2011 court-ordered stay ended ODFW plans to kill two wolves in the Imnaha pack in an attempt to stop further livestock losses. The Oregon Court of Appeals let stand the court-issued stay despite legal challenges by the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, OHA and Oregon FNAWS.
While the pack is continuing a pattern of chronic livestock depredation begun in spring 2010, ODFW wolf coordinator Russ Morgan said the recent kills are significant change in the pack’s behavior. Previously the pack killed mostly smaller calves, but it has shifted to larger yearling and cows. The timing is also new, as depredation by this pack has not been previously confirmed during the period October through December.
Wolf advocates decry county’s wolf compensation committee
Just days after state officials said they’re adopting a framework for wolf compensation claims, the predator advocacy group Cascadia Wildlands lashed out, saying they’re worried about how the plan will play out on the ground.
Specifically, they’re concerned about Wallowa County. In a letter to Governor Kitzhaber, they accused the county of forming an anti-wolf compensation committee even before the state finalized rules on the program.
The program will compensate ranchers who lose cows to wolves.
The Imnaha pack of at least five gray wolves has killed six cows since October, when a lawsuit stayed the state’s plans to eliminate wolves that prey on livestock.
The pack has killed 20 cows since the spring of 2010, according to ODFW.
Cascadia Wildlands was one of three wolf advocacy groups that recently filed legal action to stop the ODFW from using lethal control of problem wolves as authorized in the state’s wolf management plan.
Hunting bills effective Jan. 1
Here is a list of the hunting bills that were passed during the 2011 Oregon Legislative Session that are effective as of Jan. 1.
HB 2875 – No Net Loss of Hunting Land: This bill specifies that state land currently accessible for hunting must remain accessible for hunting unless a state agency restricts access for reason of public safety or wildlife management. The bill directs state agencies to avoid making determinations that result in net loss of access.
HB 3636 – Voluntary Predator Control Contributions: This bill allows an applicant, when requesting issuance of a license, tag, or permit from ODFW, to make a voluntary contribution for predatory animal control in the county or counties in which the license, tag or permit allows the person to hunt.
HB 2125 – Mandatory Reporting: The bill allows ODFW to impose a surcharge of up to $25 on hunters who do not meet harvest reporting requirements.
HB 2126A – Reporting Requirements Incentives: Companion bill to HB 2125, this bill gives ODFW the authority to issue free tags by drawing to hunt antelope, deer, and elk as an incentive to complete the mandatory reporting requirements for big game reporting.
HB 2127 – Voluntary Habitat Conservation Stamp: This bill authorizes state Fish and Wildlife Commission to issue a voluntary habitat conservation stamp and to charge a fee not to exceed $50 for the stamp.
HB 3560 – Wolf Management and Compensation and Proactive Trust Fund: Allows the Oregon Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a wolf depredation compensation financial assistance grant program. The purpose of this program is to compensate persons who suffer loss or injury due to wolf depredation.
HB 2329 – ATVs: This bill created the classification of Class IV all-terrain vehicles. In this class, vehicles are exempted from laws relating to vehicle registration, titling and accident reporting. The bill also changes definitions of Class I, II and III all-terrain vehicles.
HB 3399 – Invasive Species Inspections: This is the “boat checkpoint bill.” The bill gave the authority to ODFW, the State Marine Board, and the State Department of Agriculture to stop recreational or commercial watercraft for inspection of invasive species. The bill is in effect now.
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