[ODFW-News] Commission to vote on wolf plan next week

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: Brad Wurfel (503) 947-6020	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: (503) 947-6009
	
For Immediate Release	Friday, Feb. 4, 2005

Fish and Wildlife Commission to vote on Oregon wolf plan next week in Troutdale
Executive session to be held

SALEM - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Thursday, Feb. 10, and Friday, Feb 11, for a final public hearing and a vote on the draft Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. 

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. The seven-member panel meets monthly. The meeting will occur in Troutdale at the Sam Cox Annex Building, 1106 E. Columbia River Highway.

The official meeting of the Commission will begin at 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 10, with the third and final public hearing on the draft wolf plan. The public hearing is expected to last through the afternoon. The Commission will reconvene the meeting at 8 a.m., Friday, Feb. 11, and will proceed through the agenda in order. The following items are scheduled:

*	Director's report on regional ODFW activities, and temporary rules;
*	Revenue and expenditure report;
*	Informational briefing on proposed administrative rule changes related to big game preference points for members of the military;
*	Rulemaking to require duplicate angling harvest tags to be issued only at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices;
*	Decision on request to waive fish passage requirements at Scoggins Dam in Washington County;
*	Rulemaking on Columbia River spring chinook consistent with action taken by Columbia River Compact;
*	Repeal and re-adoption of rules governing ocean salmon harvest north of Cape Falcon to provide geographic clarity;
*	Informational briefing on winter steelhead biological opinion issued by National Marine Fisheries Service;
*	Selection of upland game bird stamp for 2005-2006 (scheduled to occur during the Commission's lunch break);
*	Rulemaking on Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.)

In addition, the Commission will meet in executive session with its legal counsel to discuss confidential attorney-client privileged documents related to Clackamas Hydroelectric Project Settlement and the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, as authorized by ORS 192.660(2)(f). No decisions will be made during the executive session. 

Public testimony will be taken on each agenda item. For all agenda items, sign-up sheets to testify will be provided at the meeting. Public testimony on the draft wolf plan only will only be taken Thursday afternoon. No additional comments will be taken Friday. Most agenda items are posted to ODFW's Web site in advance of the meeting at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/Comm/schedule.htm.

Persons seeking to testify for up to five minutes on other issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements at least 24 hours in advance. "Unscheduled testimony" must be arranged by calling Katie Thiel, ODFW Director's Office, at 503-947-6044. Unscheduled testimony will occur around 1 p.m. and is limited to about six speakers. Currently, two speakers are expected. 


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