SENATE COMMITTEE ON WATER AND LAND USE

February 03, 2003 Hearing Room D

3:00 p.m. Tapes 8 - 9

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Ted Ferrioli, Chair

Sen. Charlie Ringo, Vice-Chair

Sen. Jason Atkinson

Sen. Rick Metsger

STAFF PRESENT: Judith Callens, Committee Administrator

Megan Jensen, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 97 – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 8, A
005	Chair Ferrioli	Calls meeting to order at 3:10 p.m. and opens public hearing on SB 97.
SB 97 – PUBLIC HEARING
007	Sen. Beyer	Explains SB 97.
040	Sen. Ringo	Asks if the bill will address the question of whether citizens in the Oregon want wolves back.
043	Sen. Beyer	Responds.
051	Chair Ferrioli	Discusses how wolves fit into the Endangered Species Act and suggests that Oregon needs management authority over whether wolves come to Oregon or not.
077	Sen. Ringo	Comments that people who live in rural districts will be more affected by wolves coming to Oregon than people in urban districts.
080	Sen. Beyer	Responds.
094	Chair Ferrioli	Comments that if wolves are reintroduced to Oregon, it should be throughout their native range.
107	Ron Anglin	Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Wildlife Division Administrator. Presents written testimony and advises that the agency is neutral on SB 97 (EXHIBIT A).
151	Vice-Chair Ringo	Asks about the expected impact on predation from wolf reintroduction.
154	Anglin	Responds that ODFW is not clear about the impact on predation.
174	Sen. Atkinson	Wonders if wolf introduction changes the coyote population.
181	Mark Henjum	ODFW Wildlife Division Administrator. Responds that Yellowstone National Park has conducted long term studies which suggest the coyote population has been reduced by 70%.
185	Sen. Atkinson	Inquires if the decrease in coyotes is due to habitat competition or to wolves killing coyotes.
188	Henjum	Responds that wolves prey on coyotes.
193	Sen. Atkinson	Asks about other states’ compensation policies for the loss of livestock by wolf predation.
200	Henjum	Answers that states do not pay for the loss of livestock, but the Defenders of Wildlife will compensate livestock owners for confirmed and probable losses due to wolf predation. Refers to submitted written materials (EXHIBIT D).
209	Sen. Atkinson	Asks about the historic range for wolves in Oregon.
215	Henjum	Responds.
229	Sen. Metsger	Explains the Bailey Foundation Fund maintained by the Defenders of Wildlife for livestock compensation.
246	Henjum	Elaborates.
249	Chair Ferrioli	Wonders if wolves in Oregon could be designated as experimental populations as in Idaho.
258	Henjum	Replies.
264	Chair Ferrioli	Suggests that designation as experimental population could help Oregon take management authority over wolves.
279	Sen. Atkinson	Asks if the Oregon Endangered Species Act list includes the California condor.
282	Henjum	Responds no.
284	Sen. Atkinson	Asks why the wolf is listed as an endangered species and not the California Condor.
292	Henjum	Responds.
300	Sen. Ringo	Offers a possible explanation that at one time the wolf did inhabit Oregon, whereas the California Condor did not. Clarifies that if the bill passed, wolf management would fall under the Department of Agriculture.
311	Anglin	Confirms that the Department of Agriculture is responsible for predator management.
315	Sen. Ringo	Asks if ODFW could create a management plan that does not require the wolf to be listed as a predator.
320	Anglin	Affirms.
325	Sen. Ringo	Inquires why ODFW hasn’t created a management plan before now.
327	Anglin	Responds. Clarifies monetary compensation issues.
365	Chair Ferrioli	Asks if there are any statistics on reimbursement claims made versus reimbursement claims settled.
370	Henjum	Responds.
397	Chair Ferrioli	Requests statistical analysis of the issue. Asks if he is aware of some counties adopting ordinances preventing the reintroduction of wolves.
402	Henjum	Replies.
TAPE 9, A
440	Glen Stonebrink	Oregon Cattlemen’s Association; Oregon Hay and Forage Association. Gives testimony in support of SB 97 (EXHIBIT B).
TAPE 8, B
001	Stonebrink	Continues testimony for SB 97.
077	Sen. Ringo	Asks for clarification on the Cattlemen’s Association view of wolves in the 1840’s.
082	Stonebrink	Responds.
095	Sen. Ringo	Asks if the Cattlemen Association is against the idea of wolves in Oregon.
099	Stonebrink	Affirms.
108	Sen. Ringo	Admits concern that there will be significant killings of livestock if wolves are introduced to Oregon. Asks for experiences of that in other states.
116	Stonebrink	Responds that there are many instances of wolves killing livestock.
146	Sen. Ringo	Asks if there are there documented cases of wolves attacking or killing humans.
150	Stonebrink	Offers to provide that information at a later date.
156	Sen. Metsger	Asks for statistics showing that the number of wolf kills are less than other predatory kills.
176	Stonebrink	Responds.
205	Greg Addington	Oregon Farm Bureau. Testifies in support of SB 97 (EXHIBIT C): Removing the wolf from the Endangered Species list will save the state money Classifying the wolf as a predator would help farmers and ranchers legally protect their property Requiring ODFW to report quarterly on the status of the wild wolf population would be reasonable.
250	Chair Ferrioli	Requests documentation on changes in agricultural production patterns in states where wolves have been introduced.
256	Addington	Responds.
260	Al Elkins	Oregon Hunters Association. Testifies in support of SB 97.
297	Chair Ferrioli	Asks about his participation in the ODFW public information process regarding reintroduction of wolves.
302	Elkins	Responds.
315	Roger Huffman	Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Animal Health and Identification Administrator. Discusses the current ODA policies about wolves in Oregon.
380	Huffman	Continues discussion of ODA policies.
TAPE 9, B
021	Sen. Ringo	Asks if there are documented cases of wolves attacking and killing humans.
023	Huffman	Offers to provide the information to the committee at a later date.
040	Sen. Ringo	Asks for clarification on whether there are cases of attacks on humans.
044	Chair Ferrioli	Comments that it would be beneficial to have documented case information to avoid perpetuating myths. Inquires about the penalty for killing a protected wolf.
054	Huffman	Responds that the United States Forest Service fines are up to $100,000 and jail time.
058	Chair Ferrioli	Asks about the difference between domesticated hybrid wolf and the native species.
061	Huffman	Responds.
070	Chair Ferrioli	Inquires about the fine for killing a hybrid wolf.
076	Huffman	Responds.
085	Chair Ferrioli	Asks about the wolf sanctuary in Millican, Oregon.
088	Huffman	Responds.
094	Chair Ferrioli	Asks if there was a release from the wolf sanctuary.
096	Huffman	Affirms.
102	Chair Ferrioli	Suggests that wolf hybrid breeders could be responsible for releasing some wolf hybrids and comments on the ambiguity of confronting the future of wolves in Oregon.
133	Sen. Metsger	Comments on the issue of wolves preying on fish in irrigation canals.
142	Judith Callens	Committee Administrator. Observes that the repealed language in the bill addresses the issue.
156	Chair Ferrioli	Closes the public hearing on SB 97 and adjourns the meeting at 4:15 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 97, written testimony, Ron Anglin, 15 pp

B – SB 97, written testimony, Glen Stonebrink, 4 pp

C – SB 97, written testimony, G. Addington, 1 p

D – SB 97, written testimony, N. Weiss, 6 pp