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Local officials and ranchers believe that a great deal can be learned from Wallowa County, as residents there have been in the midst of the wolf re-introduction. According to Wallowa County rancher and Wolf Depredation Chair for the Oregon Cattleman’s Association Rod Childers, the change in protocol from ODFW has changed agreement in wolf depredation dramatically. “You get the people on the ground that know the country, and know what’s there and understand livestock -- it does work a lot better.”
As the wolf reintroduction spreads across Oregon, Crook County officials are taking a proactive stance to the issue of co-existence with the species.
At the last Crook County Court meeting, the formation of a wolf depredation committee was passed, and County officials and livestock producers have begun to roll up their sleeves to prepare for the imminent presence of wolves in Crook County.
The Livestock Compensation and Wolf Co-Existence Act (HB 3560) signed off by Governor Kitzhaber in August 2011 was a springboard for the mandate to form a livestock compensation board of directors for each Oregon County.
“Where we’re going with it -- as the rules are laid out, if we would have some wolf depredation, we would have to have this committee in place or we don’t get reimbursed,” said Crook County Judge Mike McCabe.
The debate between livestock producers, state biologists, and environmentalists has been a bone of contention since the wolf re-introduction in Yellowstone Park in 1995. In 2011, HB 3560 established a wolf depredation fund in Oregon of $100,000 through the Department of Agriculture.
Part of the agreement includes a depredation committee of seven members in each Oregon County. According to McCabe, this committee is necessary to ensure future compensation in the chance of a loss of livestock to local ranchers due to a wolf kill.
McCabe said that he is disgruntled by the amount of money that was put aside.
“That’s woefully inadequate. They could spend that much in Wallowa County.”
The committee must have a commissioner, two producers, two members who are capable of co-existing with wolves, and two business community members. Currently, the Crook County committee consists of Commissioner Seth Crawford, producer Trent Smith, producer Allen Tesky, and co-exist members Libby Stahancyk and Chris Gannon. When the committee meets again, they will choose the two business community members.
One-third of the fund will be used for non-lethal means to control wolves. Committee member Trent Smith said this might involve things such as electric fences, flagging, or guard dogs, “Anything that could possibly deter a wolf without harming it.”
Smith explained that the committee will appropriate funds or validate restitution of a wolf depredation to livestock producers.
“It removes the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as judge and juror.”
He said that there will be a third party in the investigations (in this case Crook County Sheriff Hensley), and the findings then come before the committee and are presented. The committee then allocates funds accordingly to livestock producers.
“What we have is a very small amount—it’s just a pittance of really what could possibly be lost—but it’s a step to get started. It’s a step to get a lot of the road bumps out of the way, and if we can smooth this thing out before it is actually is sitting on our doorstep, then I think we have done something,” noted Smith.
“There has only been several verified wolf sightings in Crook County. We still are not a wolf zone, but they are in Crook County and do pass through. We know they are going to set up camp here sooner or later.”
Rod Childers, Wolf Committee Chairman for Oregon Cattleman’s Association, lives in Enterprise, Ore. and is also a rancher in Wallowa County. Childers lives in the original area where wolves were first introduced in Oregon.
He emphasized that Oregon Fish and Wildlife will still be the lead in the investigations of possible wolf kills.
“They still have to make a confirmed or probable call,” said Childers. “Once that is done, by Feb. 15 of every year, the counties will get all their information and the ranchers will submit their losses to this county committee.”
He said the counties approve it and submit it to the Department of Agriculture (Where the compensation fund is). In the first part of March, ODA will send the money back to each county to reimburse ranchers on losses for the previous year.
“What we encourage all of the counties to do,” emphasized Childers, “when a producer thinks they have a loss, is to still call their local Sheriff, who will, in turn, get a hold of the wildlife service agent and ODFW. What we recommend is that all three entities be involved in the investigation—recognizing that ODFW makes the final call.”
Childers said that ODFW has changed some of their protocol, which includes allowing the local district wildlife biologist to go do the investigation.
“It works a lot better with the rancher, the wildlife service agent and the sheriff—because in most cases, they are going to know each other. They have been doing that up here this fall, and it isn’t perfect—but it’s a lot better than it was.”
“You get the people on the ground that know the country and know what’s there and understand livestock -- it does work a lot better.”
Crook County officials believe that a lot can be learned from Wallowa County, and hope the formation of the county committees will provide a good partnership between agencies in the issue of wolf depredation.
