Wallowa County seeks wolf plan changes

“Somehow we need to elevate the awareness or spur political action,” Commission Chairman Mike Hayward said.

“We are looking for ways to elevate this for people who are still in the dark; people who are not aware of the wolf issue at all or who think wolves live harmoniously with humans.

“What we want,” Hayward said, “is acknowledgement from the state that their plan and rules are not working. There need to be changes and those changes need to happen quickly. The Wolf Plan was fine when there weren’t any wolves.”

The letter will ask the governor, ODFW and Oregon Emergency Management for funding to pay for all wolves to be collared, better tracked and for an increase in staff to manage the growing wolf population in the county.

“This way we can document their activity and that carries some weight,” Commissioner Dan Deboie said.

Hayward added, “I really believe the real solution is for this to become a statewide issue.”

Wolf sightings have been reported, but not confirmed, in the Cascades near Mount Hood, Hayward said.

“A year ago there were only reports of wolves in Wallowa County and nothing confirmed,” Hayward said.

With 14 documented wolves in the county and nearly two livestock depredations per week in the past month, Hayward said the wolves will likely be a statewide issue sooner than later.

As tensions run high, members of the community attending Monday’s meeting asked the commissioners to enforce county ordinance 99-013.

Vicky Fleischman of Enterprise presented a statement and a petition with 726 signatures requesting the commissioners enforce ordinance 99-013 and “remove all wolves from Wallowa County.”

In 1999 the commissioners created Resolution 99-18 and County Ordinance 99-013 as preemptive measures against the threat of wolves migrating into Oregon from Idaho.

The resolution and ordinance pre-date the Oregon Wolf Plan, signed in 2005, by more than six years. At that time, the gray wolf was protected by the Endangered Species Act, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The resolution says, “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shall immediately destroy or return all wolves from experimental populations that are found in Wallowa County at the expense of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shall be held liable for any damages from wolf predation while in Wallowa County.”

In May 2009 the gray wolf was de-listed as a federally endangered species. Since then, ODFW has taken the lead in managing wolves, which remain on the state endangered species list.

Ordinance 99-013 says, “Any incidental presence of wolves or wolf hybrids that is deemed to pose a threat to people or property shall result in having the wolf destroyed or removed upon approval of an order of the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners. Conviction of violation of the terms of this Ordinance shall constitute a Class A Misdemeanor.”

Hayward said after consulting with attorneys, the county cannot preempt state and federal laws.

In essence, the petitioners requested that the county declare marshal law and instruct the sheriff to enforce the 99 ordinance, Hayward said. This would result in a Class A Misdemeanor for allowing wolves without the county’s permission.

“Citing ODFW is not going to work,” Hayward said.

Instead, county ordinance 2010-005 was enacted requesting the state declare a state of emergency.

Rod Childers, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association wolf committee chair, said he would like some of the emergency funding to support Wildlife Services and that the additional staff be here in Wallowa County.

“The 1999 ordinance is illegal in today’s world and was written to make a statement,” Childers said. “We have to go through the legal process.”

“The Wolf Plan is in a revision stage and a legislative session is coming,” Childers said, adding that he’s hopeful changes can be made in the Wolf Plan that would allow ranchers to protect their livestock more easily.

“The people who live on the ground need some relief,” Childers said.