Oh, what a difference a week can make! Below is an update full of the good and bad of what was a wild week for wolf recovery. Give it a read, but please also take the time to help us build support for wolf conservation by signing and sharing this petition.

Thanks to Oregon Wild and wolf supporters, over the last week we stopped a wolf kill bill in the Oregon legislature and gave the state wildlife agency pause in their effort to delist wolves. However, we also saw even more proof that those opposed to wolf recovery will stop at nothing to get their way. They’re relentless in their attacks on wildlife. We too must be relentless in our defense of conservation.

Victory
Just a few days ago, I was in Salem testifying at a disheartening hearing in Oregon's Capitol where legislators gave serious consideration to a livestock industry proposal to declare a state of emergency and prohibit wolves from ever being protected by the state. 

The bill didn’t go public until the 11th hour and with just two business days to respond, things looked grim. Oregon Wild joined other citizens and conservationists to submit testimony on behalf of Oregon’s 77 known wolves. We argued that politicians shouldn’t substitute their judgement for scientists and a public process agreed to over a decade ago. It became clear that the committee and the agenda were stacked against conservation. 

In addition to Oregon Wild, hundreds – maybe thousands – of individuals supporting wolf conservation made calls, wrote letters, shared the news, and contacted your own state legislators. By Tuesday morning, support for the bill had eroded and it was defeated!

Onward!
The latest wolf kill bill was a dangerous distraction. Had it passed, it would have stripped wolves of basic protections. It was also designed to sidestep a public process agreed to over a decade ago to review the status of wolves. After fighting to stop the bill, we were left with just three days to prepare for the state’s proposal to delist wolves.

Conservation advocates stepped up again! At a long public hearing on a weekday in Bend, conservation voices – teachers, veterans, rural folks & urbanites, scientists, hunters, and even former state employees – outnumbered anti-wolf voices by a ratio of 6:1.

Walking into the meeting, it seemed the state was determined to remove basic state protections for Oregon’s 77 known wolves. That possibility remains. But our collective voice gave the state paws (yeah, that was on purpose). The ODFW Commission ordered its employees to make a number of recommendations over the next several months, but made clear that the option to maintain protections was also on the table.

Relentless
As great as it felt to finally turn the tide against anti-wolf interests, they’re relentless. Just as some were arguing the state listing didn’t matter because wolves in Western Oregon were under federal protection, we learned that livestock industry lobbyists in DC had succeeded in getting their political allies to introduce a bill that would allow Congress to strip federal protections from wolves in Oregon.

Tidbits
One of the highlights of the hearing was when a teacher shared dozens of kids' drawings with Commissioners. The drawings and the messages were simple but clear. We owe it to future generations to ensure they can enjoy a world with abundant wildlife.

Despite all the discussion about policy and wolf kill bills, we also learned some good news. At least two wolves have recently been confirmed to have dispersed out of Northeast Oregon. One is roaming Oregon's North Cascades and another is trying to make a go of it in the Southeastern part of the state.

Though the fight for wildlife can be tiring, it’s a good reminder that we’re fighting to maintain one of our greatest conservation success stories.

Wolf recovery in Oregon is back on track. The stakes are high and the opposition is unyielding. But we have science on our side. We have mainstream public values on our side. If we are relentless in our defense of wild life and wild places, we can ensure that the kids who submitted those drawings will have an opportunity to hear the howl of a wolf in their native state.