More Oregon wolves, fewer funds for livestock losses

Yearone of a block grant program for Oregon counties impacted by wolf depredationhas gone relatively smoothly, officials said Wednesday, but less funds are available for round two, evenas thestate’s known population of wolves continues to grow.

Nonetheless, the state Department of Agriculture said mosteveryone agrees that the money spent to compensate Eastern Oregon ranchers forlivestock losses and for non-lethalprevention measures is fulfilling itsintended purpose.

“Livestockproducers have been exceptionally patient through these first years of wolfdepredations and population growth,” says Rodger Huffman, the ODA’s state brand inspector, based in La Grande.

The2011 Oregon Legislature created the Wolf Depredation Compensation and FinancialAssistance County Block Grant Program and appropriated $100,000 to cover thebiennium.

ODAwas directed to establish and implement the program, which awardsfunds to individual Oregon counties affected or likely to be affected by wolfactivity.

By working with the Oregon Departmentof Fish and Wildlife, theagency that performs wolf depredation investigations, county level advisorycommittees make sure the money compensates ranchers for actual livestock lossescaused bywolves. The committees also ensure the monies are spent on proactiveefforts to prevent wolf impacts on livestock.

“Yearone was a success and the process of granting money to the counties was fairlysmooth,” says ODA’s Jason Barber, who oversees the block grant program. Barberis preparing areport on the status of the program to be delivered this springto the state legislature.

Lastyear, ODA, working with Governor Kitzhaber’s office, awarded $82,970 to eightcounties east of the Cascades– Wallowa, Union, Baker, Umatilla, Grant, Crook,Jefferson, andMalheur.

Four counties were confirmed by ODFW to have residentwolf activity – Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, and Baker. Those counties received 86percent of the allocated funds. At the time theprogram was created, only Bakerand Wallowa counties had confirmed or probable kills or injuries to livestockby wolves.

Asof this month, ODFW has confirmed a total of 64 livestock or domestic animalskilled or injured by wolves in Oregon since wolves began returning to the statein the late 1990s.

Wallowa County has experienced the majority of losses,especially since the state’s program was put in place. As a result, the countywas awarded $13,230 for compensation of ranchers. Livestockowners worked withODFW to document those losses. No other counties in year one were awarded fundsfor compensation.

Ofthe total funding provided by the block grants, $66,500, or 80 percent, wasdirected towards proactive, non-lethal efforts to reduce conflicts betweenwolves and livestock. All eightcounties received funds for prevention rangingfrom $25,000 in Wallowa to $1,000 in Crook.

Theprevention money funded a variety of techniques that seem to effectively reducewolf conflicts.

“Basedon reports we are hearing from the field, it appears range riders are one ofthe most effective measures– somebody whose job is to go to where the livestockherds are on horsebackor on an ATV, looking for wolf activity and keeping themfrom interacting with the livestock,” says Barber.

BothUmatilla and Wallowa counties awarded money to producers employing rangeriders. Fencing is a common preventative range management measure also fundedin the two counties.Fladry – electrified rope with attached colored flaggingthat flap in the breeze – is another technique designed to scare off wolves.

Twocounties that have yet to see wolf activity collaborated thispast year on trainingof livestock operators.

“Jeffersonand Crook counties sponsored a wolf forum that attracted about 50 ranchers,”says Barber. “The forum focused on prevention and non-lethal methods to reduceinteractionbetween wolves and livestock, and featured guest speakers from ODFWand Oregon State University.”

Countiesand the ranching community understood that a bulk of the $100,000 provided tothe block grant program would be spent in the first year. A new round of grantrequests iscurrently underway for year two of the biennium.

Some of the fundsawarded last year have been returned unspent by counties and put back into atrust account. As a result, about $22,000 isavailable for the current round offunding.

At this time, ODA is receiving and reviewing grant applications fromthe counties. Three new counties – Wheeler, Morrow, and Klamath – have appliedfor this year’s funds in addition to seven of the original counties.

Withthe limited amount of money available, awards are expected to only covercompensation of ranchers who have had livestock killed or injured since thelast round of funding.Depredation this past year has been documented onceagain in Wallowa County as well as Baker and Umatilla counties.

“Thereis a finite amount of money, and the counties agree that it should certainlyshould go to the folks that have actually experienced livestock losses first,”says Barber.

GovernorKitzhaber has included another $100,000 in his 2013-15 recommended budget forthe block grant program.

ODFWcontinues to track known wolf populations as the species re-establishes itselfunder the state’s recovery plan. At the end of 2011, there were 29 knownwolves. ODFW’s 2012estimate of Oregon’s wolf population was 46 wolves in sixknown packs.

These estimates are verified through hard evidence, officials say, and the actualnumber is likely greater.

The best known of thesewolves, which has been giventhe name of OR7, reappeared in southern Oregon earlier this month aftercrossing the state border from California.

OR7 first made news in 2011 bymaking the longjourney from northeast Oregon to southwest Oregon and finally, Northern California. With that kind of ability to travel long distances,additional counties are keeping an eye open not only forwolves, but funds thatcan help them deal with wolf-livestock conflicts.