[ODFW-News] Public invited to attend Wolf Town Hall Meeting in Enterprise

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife =09
Contact: 	Ann Snyder 503-872-5264, Ext. 5363=09
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: 503-872-5700=09
=09
For Immediate Release	Monday, December 23, 2002

Public invited to attend Wolf Town Hall Meeting in Enterprise

PORTLAND - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a town =
hall meeting in early January in Enterprise to hear the thoughts, concerns =
and comments of Oregonians about wolves entering the state.

The meeting scheduled for Jan. 8, 2003, will be the last of 15 public =
meetings on this subject until the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission =
meets to discuss the comments received and decide on a course of action. =
=20

The comments recorded at the Enterprise meeting and the other meetings =
will be provided to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for considerati=
on. The Commission is the rule-making body for ODFW. The seven-member =
Commission has heard from a variety of experts in the past several months =
about the potential for wolves to become established in Oregon. The =
Commission now is hearing from local residents to ensure that all opinions =
have been gathered.=20

Currently, no wolves are confirmed to live in Oregon. Three wolves were =
found in Oregon in 1999 and 2000. One radio-collared wolf was returned to =
Idaho, one was hit by a car and died in May 2000, and one was shot in =
October 2000. Biologists expect all three were dispersing from established =
packs in Idaho. Biologists also have told the Commission that more wolves =
are likely to arrive in Oregon. However, Oregon has no plans to actively =
reintroduce wolves into the state.

Wolves that enter the state from Idaho's packs are protected under both =
the state and federal endangered species acts. The Oregon Legislature is =
the only entity with authority to change the Oregon Endangered Species =
Act. The Commission, however, has the authority to add or remove species =
from the state list of threatened and endangered species.

The Wolf Town Hall Meeting will open with a short introductory presentation=
 about the history of wolves in Oregon, their current biological and legal =
status, and the issues surrounding their migration into Oregon. Meeting =
participants then will have the opportunity to voice their comments and =
concerns about wolves in Oregon to any of several facilitators who will be =
available to record all comments. Participants also may choose to submit =
written comments on forms that will be available at the meeting. Some =
educational materials about wolves also will be available.=20

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The town =
hall meeting is scheduled for:

-Enterprise: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003, Enterprise High School, multi-purpose=
 room, 201 SE Fourth St.

More information about wolves has been posted to the ODFW Web site at =
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/InfoCntrWild/gray_wolf/wolf_main.htm .

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