EUGENE, Ore. — It’s hard to know from a wolf’s howl whether it’s happy or sad. But when it comes to the subject of wolves, the emotions come through loud and clear.
“These decisions are supposed to be based on science,” Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-4) said. “Not political science.”
DeFazio’s upset about a recent decision by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove the gray wolf from the state’s endangered species act.
“There are 81 wolves in the state,” DeFazio said. “Eight-one. And basically they’re declaring victory and recovery.”
Wolves are native to Oregon and existed side-by-side with humans for thousands of years. But in the 1840s bounties were put on wolves hides, the last of which was paid in 1947. For over 50 years wolves were extinct in the state. Then the first one wandered in from Idaho in 1999 — the inevitable result of reintroducing the species into Yellowstone Park.
“Under the wolf plan, wolves are still protected,” Ron Anglin, a high-ranking official at ODFW, said. “There are no hunting seasons.”
Anglin says the state’s wolf plan is currently up for review, but he doesn’t foresee an open hunting season anytime soon.
Still, DeFazio claims the ODFW commission caved to pressure from special interest groups, like cattlemen and elk hunters, and predicts that a hunting season isn’t far behind.
“Idaho essentially is trying to reexterminate the wolf,” DeFazio said. “And Oregon’s setting up to go the same way.”
The good news for environmental groups is that the federal endangered species act still protects wolves in western oregon, including the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Range, and their population is growing fast.
“They are basically dogs,” Taal Levi, an assistant professor of wildlife at Oregon State University, said. “Same species, canis lupis.”
Levi says he thinks there are probably about 100 wolves in the state, slightly more than the official number of 81. He says wolves are uniquely suited to bringing down big game such as livestock and elk, but they pose virtually no threat to humans.
“Wolves are very scared of humans,” Taal said. “Much more scared than other species.”
Levi says that a healthy wolf population could have a positive effect on oregon’s overall ecology. By reducing the number of deer and elk, for example, plants near rivers and streams could thrive which would benefit fish.
The big question is how many wolves will humans tolerate? With 16 breeding packs, right now they only occupy a small fraction of their former habitat. But both Anglin and Levi agree that the wolves could easily spread into the Willamette Valley and the entire Cascade Range.
“Whether or not that’s socially acceptable is another question,” Levi said.
For his part, DeFazio envisions a day when Oregon becomes a destination spot for wildlife lovers.
He said, “I don’t think we’re going to get too many tourists who want to come to oregon to look at our cattle.”
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