[ODFW-News] Wolf Advisory Committee to meet Dec. 1-2 in Keizer

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: Information and Education 503-947-6002
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  
	
For Immediate Release	Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Wolf Advisory Committee to meet Dec. 1-2 in Keizer


SALEM - The last meeting of the Wolf Advisory Committee formed by the
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will be held Wednesday, Dec. 1, and
Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Wittenberg Inn in Keizer.

The agenda includes a review and discussion on public comments received
to date on the draft Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. The
committee will decide whether to recommend to the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission any changes to the draft plan. The draft currently
is out for public review and can be accessed at
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wolves/main.html.

The official meeting will begin at noon Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Wednesday's discussions are expected to break at 5 p.m. The meeting
will re-start at 8 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 2, and will conclude at noon.
The Wittenberg Inn is located at 5188 Wittenberg Lane N, just off River
Road in Keizer. 

Members of the public may watch the proceedings of the Wolf Advisory
Committee. Fifteen minutes will available at the end of second day for
oral public comment. Members of the public also may submit written
comments. Forms will be provided at the meeting for this purpose or they
may be sent via e-mail to ODFW.Comments at state.or.us. 

No wolves are confirmed to be in Oregon at this time. However, numerous
unconfirmed sightings have been documented. Biologists expect wolves to
enter Oregon from the expanding population in Idaho and eventually
establish a permanent population in this state. Anyone who thinks they
have seen a wolf should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in
Bend at 541-312-6429. 

The Fish and Wildlife Commission appointed the 14-member advisory
committee in 2003 to help study all the issues surrounding wolves in
Oregon and to recommend management actions that will be used once a
permanent population establishes itself. The Commission decided to
proactively develop a wolf management plan so the state is prepared for
wolves. This decision came after hearing from many wolf experts and the
results of 15 town hall meetings held in late 2002 and early 2003. 

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is the policy-making body for
fish and wildlife issues in the state. The Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife carries out the policies of the Commission. 

Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals
requesting assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or
large-print materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations
may call the Information and Education Division at 800-720-6339 or
503-947-6002 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. 


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