Oregon may have as few as a pair of wolves and it’s state protections drop after four breeding pairs, but just west of the Snake lies a temporary reprieve for wolves. Capital News, an Ag publication, illustrates a few of Oregon’s state protections “Delisting wolf may not help” (broken/pay) :
One thing the federal delisting will do is give the state authority to intervene and kill a problem wolf in cases of chronic depredation. It also will give the state authority to issue a permit for lethal take to livestock producers who suffer wolf depredation – provided the producer first fails to resolve the conflict through non-lethal strategies.
Emphasis mine. I’m still rubbing my eyes.
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I’m rubbing mine, too.
Sometimes you have to wonder what planet both federal and state wolf “managers” are living on. Despite alleged baiting, rampant poaching over the years (at least 25 animals), three “disappeared” Mexican wolves near the same two problem allotments where 89% of this year’s removals for depredations occurred (and where the alleged baiting took place), and an almost certain decline in both population and breeding pairs when they do the end-of-year survey next week, the powers that be in the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service are still refusing to change the totally discretionary SOP 13.0.
This SOP mandates the removal of any wolf that kills three head of livestock in 365 days. The rationale for this quasi-criminal protocol is that if the Service doesn’t remove these animals, certain locals will resort to “shoot, shovel, and shut up.” Clearly, caving in to extortion isn’t working, moreover, the rigid rule is an open invitation to bait an animal that has already killed one or more cattle. One is reminded of the general back in the Vietnam War who was quoted as saying, “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
Meanwhile, the wild population declines. Mexican wolves languish in captivity, where genetic deterioration sets in over time, leading to inbreeding depression in the small (roughly 300 lobos) population. Needed rule change was delayed for years while the situation worsened, and was only undertaken when it became evident that a failure to do so would result in litigation. It may still take up to two more years to complete. To the careful observer, the whole situation looks like “biological malpractice” on the part of USFWS.