Oregon On Track To Begin Wolf Delisting Process

Oregon's wolf population is on track to reach a key milestone. If current trends in Eastern Oregon continue, the state can relax protections and consider removing wolves from its endangered species list next year. Russ Morgan, wolf coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said state rules call for launching a delisting process for wolves when Eastern Oregon has four breeding pairs for three consecutive years. A breeding pair is an adult male, adult female and at least two pups surviving to the end of the calendar year. The state has documented at least three breeding pairs the past two years, and the three-year mark is coming up at the end of 2014. At this month's Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Morgan proposed starting the delisting process in April, 2015. He said starting the process does not mean wolves will definitely be delisted. "I don't want to preclude that wolves will be delisted next year," he said. "Before wolves can be delisted there has to be public involvement and a commission decision." Morgan said delisting wolves won't really change how they're managed by the state. However, the same population threshold that triggers the delisting process also ushers in a new phase of wolf management that lowers the bar for killing problem wolves. Under the new rules that will likely kick in next year, Morgan said, the state will be allowed to lethally remove wolves after two confirmed attacks on livestock. Current rules only allow the legal killing of wolves after four incidents within six months. The new rules also allow ranchers to kill wolves that are chasing livestock, whereas the current rules only allow ranchers to use lethal control in cases where wolves are biting, wounding or killing livestock...more