Muddy Waters

A revised Wolf Management Plan is headed for a vote by Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commissioners on March 15. The amended plan forsakes non-lethal control measures and is so anti-wolf and pro-rancher that, after five months of stakeholder meetings, all the conservation groups have pulled up stakes.

Truth is, carpetbagger ranchers pay almost nothing to graze cattle on public lands, less than ten cents on the dollar compared to similar private lands. Still, they refuse to share any of the natural bounty with our native wolves.

Meanwhile, cows gobble the forage, trample the land and muddy the waters as they stampede toward the slaughterhouse, passing climate-warming methane gas along the way.

I would rather a cow die to nourish a wild wolf than line a rancher’s pocket. It’s only dollars and cents for ranchers, but life or death for wolves. We have barely 100 of these iconic creatures in our state. Since they can’t speak for themselves, wolves need our help to survive.

Send a message to the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commissioners and to Gov. Brown who appoints them. Let ’em hear you howl!

Benton Elliott

Eugene