oregonians for food and shelter 051509

Relocate wolves to nearest wilderness, keep livestock producers informed

'Relocation is in the best interest of the wolves and the communities of eastern Oregon'

WASHINGTON, D.C. May 7, 2009 - Greg Walden (R-OR) asked state and federal wildlife officials to exercise the option outlined in Oregon's wolf plan to relocate captured wolves to the nearest federal wilderness and do more to warn communities of the wolves' presence to prevent an attack on domestic livestock.

"For Oregon's livestock producers who are, and will be, dealing with wolf kills to their livestock, the recent wolf depredation of 23 young lambs and a young calf in Baker County poses a strong concern," Walden said. "State and federal agencies should follow the protocols laid out for this very situation and work together to trap, remove, and relocate the wolves to a wilderness area free of domestic livestock."

The Baker City Herald reported on May 4 that a wolf was captured in the Keating Valley. Wildlife officials collared and then released the wolf on the spot, without relocating it to a nearby wilderness.

Page 45 of the February 2005 Oregon Wolf Conservation Management Plan enables the agencies to trap and relocate the wolves to the nearest wilderness.

"Relocation is in the best interest of the wolves and the communities of eastern Oregon, and it is my very strong request that you exercise this option in the quickest possible time frame before another attack on livestock," Walden wrote in a letter sent today to state and federal agencies.

Walden said that a better job should have been done to give nearby ranchers a heads-up to the wolves' presence.

"I understand via discussions with Forest Service officials that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) may have known that these wolves were in the area two months prior to the attacks," Walden said. "With lambing and calving season about to begin, local livestock producers should have been notified and given the opportunity to protect their livestock."

Page three of the guidelines found in the Federal/State Coordination Strategy for Implementation of Oregon's Wolf Plan states that "livestock producers who may have stock in the area (are to be) kept informed about the situation and provided information on what they can legally do to protect their livestock."

Walden was also critical of the response to the attacks. Page four of the same guidelines designates the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Services' Wildlife Services as the lead agency for "investigating livestock depredation and making the official determination on the cause of death."

"It is my understanding that Wildlife Services was not called into the investigation for several days and that the indecision and differing opinions that followed may have come at the cost of additional lamb deaths as well as that of a calf at a neighboring ranch," Walden says in the letter.

The full text of the letter is below:

May 7, 2009

Mr. Paul Henson, Oregon State Supervisor
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2600 S.E. 98th, Ste. 100
Portland, OR 97266

Mr. Dave Williams, Oregon State Supervisor
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
6135 N.E. 80th Ste. A-8
Portland, OR 97218

Mr. Roy Elicker, Director
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
3406 Cherry Avenue, N.E.
Salem, OR 97303

Dear Mr. Henson, Williams, and Elicker,

I have grave concerns regarding the recently confirmed and devastating wolf depredation of 23 young lambs and a young calf in Baker County. The plan to introduce these predators into the northeastern corner of Oregon has been, from its inception, controversial to say the least. For Oregon's livestock producers who are, and will be, dealing with wolf kills to their livestock the current situation underscores why the wolves in the area pose a strong concern. To that end I would ask that your agencies exercise the protocol found in the Federal/State Coordination Strategy for Implementation of Oregon's Wolf Plan (April 2007) in regards to coordinating with local livestock producers. I strongly urge your agencies to follow the protocols laid out for this very situation and work together to trap, remove, and relocate the wolves to a wilderness area free of domestic livestock.

As reported on April 15 in the Baker City Herald, wolf tracks were found near the timberline within five to six miles from the Keating Valley ranch where the multiple attacks took place. I also understand via discussions with United States Forest Service officials that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) may have known that these wolves were in the area two months prior to the attacks. With lambing and calving season about to begin, local livestock producers should have been notified.

According to the guidelines found in the Federal/State Coordination Strategy for Implementation of Oregon's Wolf Plan (under the section titled "Investigating & Monitoring Newly Discovered Wolves" [pg. 3]), the plan states "livestock producers who may have stock in the area (are to be) kept informed about the situation and provided information on what they can legally do to protect their livestock." As I understand, no livestock producers were informed of the presence of these wolves prior to the attacks on the lambs and one calf.

When a wolf does kill livestock in Oregon, according to the guidelines found in the Federal/State Coordination Strategy for Implementation of Oregon's Wolf Plan (under the section titled "Livestock Depredation Investigation and Response" [pg. 4]), the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services is designated the lead agency for "investigating livestock depredation and making the official determination on the cause of death." It is my understanding that Wildlife Services was not called into the investigation for several days and that the indecision and conflicting opinions that followed may have come at the cost of additional lamb deaths as well as that of a calf at a neighboring ranch.

As I understand now, Baker County and the communities affected by these wolf kills have been informed that your agencies intend to trap, collar, and rerelease these wolves back into the same area where these livestock kills took place. In fact, this very situation took place over the weekend with the capture, collaring, and release of a young male wolf. The February 2005 Oregon Wolf Conservation Management Plan (pg 45) enables you to trap and relocate these wolves to the nearest wilderness at the direction of ODFW. Relocation is in the best interest of the wolves and the communities of eastern Oregon, and it is my very strong request that you exercise this option in the quickest possible time frame before another attack on livestock.

Thank you for consideration of my concerns. If you have any questions, please contact my eastern Oregon director, Colby Marshall, at 541-624-2400.

Best regards,

Greg Walden
Member of Congress