[ODFW-News] Commission to amend Oregon wolf plan in November

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife    

Contact:    Anne Pressentin Young (503) 657-2000, ext. 285  

Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  

      

 

For Immediate Release   Friday, Sept. 9, 2005

 

Commission to amend Oregon wolf plan in November 

 

TILLAMOOK - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today moved to
formally amend the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Recovery Plan and remove
three proposed elements that were not acted upon by the Oregon
Legislature last session. 

 

The Commission emphasized that the remainder of the plan will stay in
place to manage wolves as they arrive in Oregon. The elements to be
removed called for the designation of the wolf as a special status
mammal under the game mammal statute, creation of a state-funded
compensation program for livestock killed by wolves, and allowing
livestock owners to kill wolves caught 'in the act' of killing
livestock. 

 

"All the conservation elements of the plan remain intact," said Marla
Rae, chair of the Commission. "Removing these three provisions reduces
some of the wolf management flexibility we worked to provide in the
original plan, but it allows wildlife managers to move forward with
implementing the plan, if and when wolves arrive in Oregon."

 

The Commission approved the Oregon wolf plan in February after a
comprehensive public involvement effort involving a citizen committee
meeting for more than a year to craft a draft plan and a four-month
public comment period. Wolves are not confirmed to be in Oregon, but
wolf experts believe wolves will migrate from the Idaho population into
Oregon.

 

Amending the Oregon wolf plan requires the Commission to enter into
rulemaking and take public comment on the proposed deletions to the
plan. The public comment period begins Oct. 1 and continues through the
Commission's Nov. 4 meeting in St. Helens. The public can submit
comments in writing to Wolf Project Coordinator, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE,
Salem, OR 97303, or by providing comments at the Commission meeting.
Comments also will be accepted via email, to Anne Pressentin-Young at
anne.m.pressentin at dfw.state.or.us 

 

More information about the development of the wolf plan can be found on
the ODFW Web site, www.dfw.state.or.us.  

 

The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in
Oregon. The seven-member panel meets monthly in Salem and other areas
throughout the state. 

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