As wolves approach central Oregon, a debate ensues

As wolves spread into Central Oregon, advocates and opponents continue to debate their value. Some say the animals, eradicated from the state decades ago, will help bring the ecosystem into better balance. Others argue the predators were eliminated for good reason. Since wolves wandered into Oregon from Idaho in 2008, the state has spent about $800,000 to manage them, according to an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife report. That sum will grow by at least a half million dollars over the next couple of years, and the spending could escalate as the number of wolves roaming the state continues to grow. For wolf supporters, having the animals back in the state's biological fold justifies such costs. For critics, the expenses come in addition to the damage they say the animals are doing to the state's livestock and wildlife. Since wolves returned to Oregon more than three years ago, four packs have established territory in Eastern Oregon, where they share open range with ranchers. The results have been deadly for cattle. The Imnaha Pack alone has killed about 20 head of cattle since spring 2010, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. But wolf attacks do more than kill livestock, said Kash, who is a member of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association's wolf task force. The attacks also have a lasting effect on the cattle that survive: Wolves put fear into cattle, she said, much as they're theorized to do to elk. "They are creating a whole different lifestyle for the animal," she said. Cattle that have survived wolf attacks become stressed, don't produce as many calves and come to behave aggressively toward people and other animals, Kash said. While there is a state program in the works to compensate ranchers for livestock killed by wolves, ranchers make their money by producing more calves. For this reason, the wolves may crimp their income even without killing any cattle. "They bring nothing but heartache," said Rod Childers, an Enterprise rancher and chairman of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association's wolf task force...more