Wolf Management Legislation Clears House

On Friday, the House of Representatives pass legislation removing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act.  The legislation which passed primarily along party lines would also open wolves up to state hunting and trapping seasons.  Robyn Smith with the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association said they were very excited when the legislation cleared the House.

“This is something we’ve been tracking, for months now, and have definitely been very involved in Oregon, as far as the revision goes here.  So, for this to happen I think this is great news for cattle ranchers across the state.”

Wolf management has been an ongoing struggle, especially in the west, where gray wolf populations have increased rapidly in recent years.  Smith noted House Bill 6784 gives ranchers and local governments more control when it comes to wolf management.

“Ranchers want to protect cattle and livelihoods and be safe out there, and at the same time we also want to be there to make sure everything goes smoothly," Smith said.  "So, I think this just give little more control to the ranchers especially one who have been told over and over again that they have to do non-lethal, and I think there’s an opportunity here to start protecting on a greater basis.”

HB 6784 now heads to the Senate, where it will face more opposition.  Similar pieces of legislation have cleared the House just to die in the Senate.

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