Thursday, June 23, 2011

Ore. House votes to pay ranchers for wolf kills

The Oregon House unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to pay ranchers for livestock lost to wolves moving into the state. The legislation had appeared dead, but was revived after ranchers, conservation groups, and the governor's office spent three days in a closed room last week hammering out details of the $100,000 package widely deemed crucial to getting ranchers on board with restoring wolf packs that were bounty-hunted to extinction in Oregon in the early 20th century. Chief sponsor Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, said it is a promising compromise between groups that started off far apart, but ultimately ranchers may have to be given broader rights to shoot wolves. Another bill will be introduced when lawmakers come back in February. "I think it's important that property owners be able to protect their property, and that's definitely an item where we'll keep up a discussion," he said. Bill Hoyt, a Cottage Grove cattle rancher and president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, said the bill was a good compromise, but the fund would likely have to grow as wolves expand their range. He added that the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife was shutting off their payments to ranchers in September...more

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