Today, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife released its 2022 Annual Wolf Report. The report shows another year of stalled wolf recovery, driven in large part by a poaching epidemic. Of the 20 mortalities documented in 2022, 17 of them were known to be human-caused. The only reason the population grew at all is because the declines under state management were offset by wolves finding refuge in portions of the state where they still have federal protections.
“Every year a significant portion of Oregon’s wolves are killed by people,” said Danielle Moser, Wildlife Program Manager for Oregon Wild. “ODFW rubber stamps about half of those and the other half are killed by people who have no respect for the law or for the animals we share this planet with. As ODFW looks to the next iteration of the wolf plan, it is clear that the last thing Oregon’s wolves need is more killing.”
Some people are advocating for trophy wolf hunting. They should look at this report and be sobered at how far ODFW is falling short of its wolf recovery goals.
Updates by the numbers:
Population: 178. Only up from 175
Breeding pairs: 17. Up from 16 in 2021
Total mortality: 20 (17 human-caused)
Known Poaching: 7
ODFW killed: 6
Other mortality: 2 killed by vehicles. 2 shot by individuals, 1 killed by a cougar
Population Growth Rates since state delisting: 2022 (under 2%) 2021 (under 2%), 2020 (9.5%), 2019 (15%), 2018 (10%), 2017 (11%), 2016 (2%)
Background
A federal district court struck down a 2020 decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February that removed federal protections from gray wolves across much of the U.S. In Oregon, that ruling only covered wolves west of Highway 395. Wolves east of Highway 395 lack federal protections and state Endangered Species Protections since the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission removed them in 2015 and the Oregon legislature blocked judicial and scientific review of that decision.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced Thursday a wide-ranging conservation rule with a goal to “promote ecosystem resilience on public lands” and which includes an acknowledgment of the importance of mature and old-growth trees and forests. The DOI will launch a 75-day public comment period during which members of the public will weigh on forest protection and other policies being considered. Members of the Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition of more than 120 organizations working to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal land from the threat of logging, praised this welcome recognition by DOI, and further called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt rules that protect mature and old growth trees and forests as part of its work to restore U.S Forest Service lands and safeguard communities from fire.
Thursday’s announcements come nearly a year after President Biden issued an executive order acknowledging the critical roles that forests play in fighting climate change and protecting wildlife habitat and directing the DOI and USDA to “develop policies, with robust opportunity for public comment, to institutionalize climate-smart management and conservation strategies that address threats to mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands.”
Over 63 million acres of mature and old-growth forests safeguard carbon, clean water, and biodiversity across all federal public lands, including over 5 million acres managed by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and over 53 million acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of these, some 50 million acres are at risk from logging. The DOI’s announcement would begin a rulemaking process for forests managed by the BLM.
The Climate Forests Campaign has been working to raise awareness about the necessity of protecting these trees and forests from logging highlighting 22 logging projects targeting mature and old-growth trees in Forest Service and BLM forests. Yet, only one of those projects, Flat Country in the Willamette National Forest, has been withdrawn because it was incongruous with the Biden administration’s policies regarding protecting trees that are important for fighting climate change.
In response to the agencies’ announcements, advocates issued the following statements:
“This is a much welcomed, necessary step in the right direction for protecting mature and old-growth forests,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative at Earthjustice. “President Biden made clear last Earth Day that he wants to incorporate the conservation of these vital trees as a part of the climate solution. We encourage the U.S. Forest Service to follow the lead of the Bureau of Land Management in progressing that vision.”
“These agencies face many challenges when it comes to protecting mature and old-growth forests on federal lands and they have enormous sway over whether logging takes down our mature forests,” said Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Public Lands Campaign Director, Ellen Montgomery. “Americans love our forests and want to see our oldest trees growing tall for decades and centuries to come. We’ll urge people to make these views known through the upcoming public comment process.”
“BLM manages some of America’s most climate-critical mature forests and trees,” said Garett Rose, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Logging them releases carbon, destroys habitat, and undermines recreational opportunities. Following today’s welcome announcement, the Agency must ensure that the final regulation includes robust protection for these magnificent forests and trees.”
“Recognizing the importance of mature and old-growth forests as a natural climate solution is a huge step forward for the Bureau of Land Management,” said Oregon Wild’s Conservation Director, Steve Pedery. “Now all eyes are on Secretary Haaland to see meaningful protections established that preserve these giants from logging and ensure they remain standing for generations to come.”
“The Department of the Interior manages some of the most important landscapes and ecosystems in the country, including portions of our last mature and old-growth forests,” said Alex Craven, Senior Campaign Representative with Sierra Club. “Today’s announcement shows important leadership from Secretary Haaland, and we look forward to working with the department to make sure it delivers long-awaited protections to these vital and precious forests.”
“We commend the US Department of Interior for taking an important step in the right direction for the protection of the Bureau of Land Management’s mature and old-growth forests,” said Zack Porter, Executive Director of Standing Trees, which advocates on behalf of New England’s public lands. “Now that the BLM is leading the way forward, we expect the U.S. Forest Service to quickly follow suit so that all mature and old-growth forests on federal public lands can be protected for the benefit of future generations, as directed by President Biden in his executive order from Earth Day 2022.”
“The BLM and President Biden recognize the crucial role mature and old-growth forests have in helping address the climate crisis, and we remain hopeful the government will safeguard them from harmful logging operations,” said Adam Rissien, WildEarth Guardians’ ReWilding Manager. “Halting the logging of older, fire-resistant trees is an immediate step the agency can take to stop exacerbating the many natural threats forest face under a changing climate.”
“BLM older forests are some of the most carbon dense on the planet that are essential to the Biden administration’s nature-based climate strategy. They should be protected from all forms of logging as part of BLM’s overall stewardship responsibilities and in compliance with the president’s executive orders to inventory older forests for conservation purposes and to protect 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030” said Dominick A. DellaSala, Ph. D, Chief Scientist, Wild Heritage, Oregon.
Oregon Wild is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jim Baker, a long-time advocate for the McKenzie River and old-growth forests state-wide.
Jim was a labor union organizer, a lineman for a telephone company, a rural resident, and a ferocious advocate for his beloved McKenzie River during the heyday of old-growth clearcutting in Oregon. He was among Oregon Wild’s earliest members, attending meetings and conferences as far back as 1974, and he went on to become our longest-serving board member before his retirement in 2012.
He leaves an enormous legacy for all Oregonians who treasure our state’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters. During his time as an Oregon Wild board member and volunteer, the organization protected more than a million acres of public lands as Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers, stopped a proposal to build more dams on the Klamath River, welcomed gray wolves back to the state, and blocked the clear-cutting of hundreds of thousands of acres of old-growth forest.
Jim Baker at the 10th annual wilderness conference in 1982
Wildlife conservation groups today announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal killing of a collared male wolf in Klamath County late last fall.
The illegal killing of wolf OR-103 near Klamath Falls in October 2022 was first publicly reported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Dec. 15. The Oregon Wildlife Coalition and conservation partners have a standing reward offer to assist in prosecutions of illegal wolf killings. This $10,000 is in addition to a $5,000 reward offered by the Service, amounting to a combined offer of $15,000.
The federally protected Oregon-born wolf was accidentally captured in the winter of 2021 by a USDA Wildlife Services trap that the agency had set for coyotes in Deschutes County. After being radio-collared and released, OR-103 exhibited a severe paw injury likely caused by the trap. He dispersed to California, where he remained until returning to Oregon last July.
OR-103’s injury greatly hampered his ability to hunt wild prey and he instead preyed on a number of livestock, which are much easier to hunt. Upon returning to Oregon, OR-103 was implicated in more livestock predations over the next few months. In early October, his death was discovered.
“OR-103 didn’t deserve to die like this, and I hope the people who know what happened will do the right thing and come forward,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Vigilante-style killings of wolves are both morally wrong and illegal.”
This new illegal killing marked the fifth known wolf poaching in Oregon in 2022. It followed the gruesome illegal poisoning deaths of multiple wolves in 2021 in the state’s northeast. Eight wolves from four different packs, including all members of the Catherine Pack, were poisoned in neighboring Union County, in incidents between February and July of 2021.
“Oregonians value native wildlife as well as justice and that’s why we have such generous rewards for the poaching of wolves and other species,” said Danielle Moser, wildlife program manager for Oregon Wild. “We want poachers of all species to be looking over their shoulders and wondering who is going to turn them in.”
“Poaching is a serious crime that undermines science-based wildlife management and disrespects people and wildlife alike,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director for Cascadia Wildlands. “We ask the public to call Oregon’s TIP line with any information they may have to ensure accountability, and we ask both federal and state officials to aggressively investigate and prosecute those responsible.”
Anyone with information regarding the OR-103 case is urged to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (503) 682-6131 or the Oregon State Police TIP line at (800) 452-7888. Callers may remain anonymous.
Background
Over the past 22 years, at least 34 wolves are known to have been illegally killed in Oregon, and two more were found dead under mysterious circumstances, according to authorities. At least three of these wolves, including OR-103, were found dead in Klamath County and at least one in neighboring Lake County. Arrests and convictions have been made in only three of the 36 deaths.
However, since 2011 wolves in the eastern one-third of Oregon have not had federal protections and have been managed solely by the state. In 2015 the state Fish and Wildlife Commission prematurely stripped wolves of state endangered species act protections.
Scientific research has shown that removing protections for wolves is associated with increased illegal killings of wolves, and that for every illegally slain wolf found, another oneto two wolves have been killed that will remain undiscovered.
At last count, Oregon had a minimum of 175 wolves. Following a significant increase in poaching, Oregon’s 2021 wolf count showed the state’s wolf population grew by the lowest percentage (just over 1%) since wolves naturally returned to the state. The 2021 minimum population of 175 wolves increased by just two animals from the 2020 minimum count of 173. The 2022 population count is expected in April.
The Oregon Wildlife Coalition includes the Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Portland Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Voters Oregon and Western Environmental Law Center. The additional conservation partner contributing to this standing reward offer is Speak for Wolves.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Oregon Wild works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations
Cascadia Wildlands defends and restores Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts and in the streets.
The Klamath Mountains that span northwest California and southwest Oregon are a place of endless wonder. The region’s climate, geology, water, fire, plants, and animals all contribute to the Klamaths being one of the most biodiverse temperate mountain ranges on Earth. Oregon Wild caught up with Michael Kauffmann, an ecologist and author of the recently published The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History, to learn about what makes this place so unique.
OW: What sets the Klamath Mountains apart from other ranges in Oregon and California?
KAUFFMANN: The Klamath Mountains are old—built by rock that is older than other mountains around it. The newer Cascades and Coast Range, surrounding the Klamath Mountains, are less biodiverse—in part—because they are younger. In between these newer landscapes, time and disturbance have moved slower and offered a refuge for biota from other western regions including the Great Basin Desert, the mesic world of the Pacific Northwest, and the Mediterranean-type climate of the California Floristic Province. Being at a crossroads of geology and climate is why the Klamath Mountains nurture unparalleled biodiversity.
OW: What makes this region so special to you?
KAUFFMANN: Conifers come first. In 2012 I published my first book Conifer Country which defines and maps these ancient plants within one of the most biodiverse temperate coniferous forests on Earth. My quest to understand regional conifers, find the rarest stands, and climb many mountains to do so took me to a multitude of unique nooks. I have seen the Klamath Mountains from all angles, decorated by amazing plants, throughout the seasons—nurturing a deep love for the Region.
OW: In writing your natural history of the Klamath Mountains, did you discover any things that surprised you?
KAUFFMANN: Yes, there is so much more to learn! People have been documenting, describing, and celebrating the amazing life in the region for millennia. From the First Peoples to Western Scientists–anyone with a keen eye for interpreting the natural world knows it is special. But we do not yet understand it all. In fact, in 2022—right before the publication of the book—a new genus of wingless stonefly was documented in a single, high-elevation spring. There are many more examples of what is newly understood but the lesson this should teach us is there is so much more to understand and steward.
To learn more from Michael Kauffmann about the wonders of the Klamath Mountains, pick up a copy of The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History from your local bookstore.
June 23rd, 2022: The Wild Rogue Conservation and Recreation Enhancement Act (H.R. 7509) had its first hearing in a Congressional subcommittee and was well received!
Establishes a 98,000-acre public lands National Recreation Area on the banks of the Rogue River in Southwest Oregon.
Expands the Wild Rogue Wilderness by 59,000 acres to safeguard the largest forested Bureau of Land Management roadless area in the country
Background
Conservation advocates and public lands lovers have worked for a long time to see the beloved Rogue River and its surrounding wildlands preserved from destructive mining, reckless road-building, and misguided logging projects. Despite the area’s breathtaking beauty, abundant recreation opportunities, and critical fish and wildlife habitat, it has long been treated as just another place for extraction and exploitation.
Thanks to passionate activists and supporters like you who have kept the pressure on, we have an opportunity to enact long-sought-after protections. The expansion of the Wild Rogue Wilderness and National Recreation Area has already been moving through the Senate thanks to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.
What this means for:
Wildlife: This large, unroaded river corridor is a vital migration route between inland and coastal habitats. Northern spotted owl, northern bald eagle, osprey, cougar, bear, and Roosevelt elk are just a few of the species that call this area home.
Forests: Wilderness designation will safeguard carbon-storing old-growth forests, as well as prohibit commercial logging and road-building projects that would degrade the landscape and increase fire risk.
Fish: This roadless area is also an important area for sturgeon, steelhead as well as Chinook and Coho salmon. Rivers covered by this legislation will prohibit new mining claims and dam construction that threaten fish spawning and habitat.
Recreation: The Wild Rogue is already known for its world-class hiking, fishing, kayaking, and rafting opportunities. National Recreation Area designation will help the Bureau of Land Management focus on enhancing recreation opportunities and public safety, like establishing evacuation routes and addressing fire risk.
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