Guest Opinion: Restoring Wolves
Wolves, a native species to Oregon and once common throughout the state, were eradicated by the 1940s in a deliberate attempt to wipe the species out of existence. Reintroduction efforts in Yellowstone and central Idaho have helped lay the groundwork for recovery across the West, but there's still a long way to go to see wolves fully restored back to their rightful place on the landscape.
For Oregon, wolves began to arrive naturally from neighboring states beginning around 2005. The population grew, nearly doubling every year. The return of wolves has been celebrated as a success story and garnered international attention by the travels of OR-7: the wolf named Journey. His arrival into California in 2011 was the first confirmed wolf in the state in nearly a century. Unfortunately, the attention and interest in Journey's remarkable trek could not stave off political attacks on the species.
In 2015, when the known wolf population in the state topped 100, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife unceremoniously removed state protections from the species. Almost immediately, the population growth slowed to a crawl and killings of wolves, including known poachings, ticked up.
Despite these legal and illegal killings, the wolf population is still growing, albeit much more slowly than before. In particular, the last two years have had a minimum wolf population growth of less than 2% — far below ODFW's own worst case scenario prediction. The 2022 wolf report released in April revealed a population increase of only three individuals — anemic growth fueled by high human-caused mortality.
Even with this stagnate statewide growth over the last year, the report showed that wolves have started to expand into new territory across Oregon, including the arrival of wolves in Deschutes County. With this expansion, there comes a renewed need for education and tools to foster coexistence. In the absence of those resources, it's more likely people act upon their misunderstandings and fears of the 'big bad wolf' — a mindset that is driving Oregon's recent epidemic of illegal poaching.
In the grand scheme of things, wolves haven't been absent from the landscape that long, but the restoration of this keystone species has ushered in a growing body of science and resources to provide guidance for successful coexistence. For example, studies — including a new one just published by Dr. Adrian Treves and Dr. Mark Elbroch — underscore how more killing does not lead to better outcomes for wolves or livestock. In fact, killing carnivores as a way to reduce livestock predation actually maintains or even increases the risk to livestock.
As we gear up for the next review of the wolf conservation and management plan, it's important to remember that it is possible to have a wolf plan that doesn't lead to more dead wolves, more dead livestock and more conflict.
Oregonians wish to see a thriving wolf population throughout the state. Let's get there by focusing on solutions that support recovery, reduce predation and bolster coexistence.
—Danielle Moser is the Wildlife Program Manager for Oregon Wild.
Two sides of the same subjects
Your cartoon in "The Rec Room" of the June 8th issue got me thinking of how divided we are as a country, and how easily the cartoon could be flipped and presented from the "other side" with a few simple word changes. In panel one, change "right-wing jargon" to "left-wing jargon," and "laundered fascism" to "laundered liberalist Marxism." From there, the rest of the cartoon remains pretty much identical. It's time to stop with all the useless, counterproductive labeling and start coming together!
—Paul Bianchina
Knopp is rewriting his legacy for Central Oregon
Dear Senator Knopp:
I find it unfortunate and disappointing that you would prefer for your legacy to have been to walk away from your responsibilities rather than honor the democratic process — a trademark of the State of Oregon until now — by debating and voting on behalf of the people who elected you to represent them. To not show up is to betray every one of us and is a reflection of cowardice as opposed to leadership.
Your legacy could have instead been serving as a champion for higher education in Central Oregon.
The breadth and depth of your egregious choices, which have garnered national and international attention, will always be much louder than the role you played in working collaboratively with your peers to advance educational opportunities in our state.
While I've not always agreed with your political agendas, I respected what you did for our community with the hard bipartisan work you did for OSU-Cascades. But this current behavior is undeniably irresponsible and your legacy for leading the charge on effacing "the Oregon Way" is what will remain loud and clear. I'm curious how you are justifying that for yourself. You get to live with this new legacy for a mighty long time.
There is still time to shift your legacy for the better. Bring your colleagues together and show up. Fulfill the responsibilities you were elected to fulfill.
Sincerely,
—Cynthia Engel
COCC GRADUATES
I am a firm supporter of free speech and I also support discerning listening. Go to YOUR graduation and when State Representative Laurie Chavez-Deremer steps to the podium, politely rise and walk out. No screaming, no gestures, just a dignified exit. Return when she has finished. Remember, this is YOUR graduation. Enjoy celebrating your achievements.
—Felicia Gorman
Letter of the Week:
Thanks for your note, Felicia. You get letter of the week!
—Nicole Vulcan
