Environmentalists pull out of Oregon wolf plan talks

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Environmental groups have withdrawn from talks aimed at updating the wolf management plan in Oregon.

Wolf conservation advocates, ranchers and hunters have been meeting with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for months to update the rules that protect and manage the state’s rebounding wolf population.

One hotly debated topic is how and when wolves can be killed when they attack livestock.

Oregon Wild, Defenders of Wildlife, Cascadia Wildlands and the Center for Biological Diversity say in a letter to Gov. Kate Brown that ODFW has rejected all their suggestions as too expensive or two difficult.

The agency’s draft for a new wolf plan last year was sharply criticized by the same groups.

Conflict between ranchers and wolves has grown as the species makes a comeback in the state.