[ODFW-News] ODFW still on track with wolf plan

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  

For immediate release	Thursday, February 3, 2005

ODFW still on track with wolf plan

SALEM - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is moving ahead with
plans to present a draft Wolf Conservation and Management Plan to the
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration and possible
adoption at its Feb. 10-11 meeting in Troutdale.

Today's announcement follows a Feb. 1 court ruling requiring the
federal government to reinstate wolves as 'endangered' under the
federal Endangered Species Act. The court ruling effectively pre-empts
portions of Oregon's draft plan by mandating stricter protections of
wolves than Oregon would require. Other portions of the plan are
unaffected.

ODFW, however, maintains the plan is still needed.

"The court did not order the wolf to stay in Idaho," said Craig
Ely, ODFW Special Projects Coordinator, who has been leading the
multi-year effort to develop a wolf conservation and management plan.
"Wolves are still coming to Oregon, and Oregon still needs a plan
to deal with them."

In addition, noted Ely, having a wolf conservation and management plan
in place will enable Oregon to quickly take over wolf management in the
event the federal government does eventually downlist wolves or takes
other measures to shift management of wolves to the states.

"ODFW also has an obligation to satisfy the requirements of
Oregon's Endangered Species Act," said Ely. "The state ESA
requires ODFW to work toward conservation of any species designated as
endangered under state law, and that includes wolves."

Ely and his team are at work identifying those areas of the Wolf
Conservation and Management Plan that will be pre-empted by federal law
and those that can take effect. These areas will be identified in the
plan, but no changes to the plan are being proposed as a result of the
court ruling.

One key difference between the federal law and Oregon's proposed Wolf
Conservation and Management Plan, noted Ely, is the "take"
provision. So long as wolves remain listed as endangered at the federal
level, only federal personnel can lethally control wolves. No other
individuals are allowed to take wolves unless there is an immediate
human safety risk. Oregon's proposed plan would allow more flexibility
for private landowners to haze and take wolves under specific
circumstances, as well as provide a compensation plan for loss of
livestock. This portion of the plan, however, as well as legislative
changes required to implement it, would be pre-empted as long as wolves
remain endangered at the federal level.

"The focus of Oregon's plan, as directed by state law," said Ely,
"is to conserve wolves while minimizing their impact on human and
animal safety, and the economic well-being of ranchers and rural
communities.

"The draft plan was developed with the input of thousands of
Oregonians and the hard work of the 14-member Wolf Advisory
Committee," said Ely. "It is the culmination of an effort that
began in spring 2002."

The plan will be presented at the Commission's Feb. 10-11 meeting in
Troutdale. The two-day meeting will take place at the Sam Cox Building,
1106 East Columbia River Highway. The Commission will take public
testimony on the draft plan Feb. 10 beginning at 1 p.m. and will
consider final rulemaking action Feb. 11 beginning at 1:30 p.m.

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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 947-6002