May 24, 2013 — After seventeen months of grueling negotiations, conservationists, Governor John Kitzhaber, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), and the livestock industry have reached a compromise settlement agreement that resolves a long-running legal battle over wolf conservation in Oregon.
Cascadia Wildlands Wolf Defense Fund
Actions under the federal Endangered Species Act are supposed to be guided by the “best available science.” Unfortunately politicians and administrations are far too often influenced by industry pressure exerted mainly by the livestock, timber or energy sectors. When this happens non-profits like Cascadia Wildlands must use legal tools, including lawsuits, to remind the US … Continue reading Cascadia Wildlands Wolf Defense Fund
Reasonable People Can Disagree, but…
By Bob Ferris “Reasonable, even intelligent people can, and frequently do, disagree on how best to achieve peace in the Middle East, but, peace must be the goal of our foreign policy tools, whether they be by the stick or by the carrot.” Nick Rahall Congressman from West Virginia I have always liked … Continue reading Reasonable People Can Disagree, but…
Anti-wolf Forces: It Takes a Thief (Richard M. Mitchell)
By Bob Ferris The anti-wolf site Save Western Wildlife recently posted a three-page letter critical of the Northern Rockies wolf recovery process written by Richard M. Mitchell Ph.D. of Alder, Montana—wow, a Ph.D. stepping into the fray. This is impressive until you take a little time to remember and realize that Dr. Mitchell’s other … Continue reading Anti-wolf Forces: It Takes a Thief (Richard M. Mitchell)
Press Release: 52 Members of Congress Urge Continued Federal Protections for Wolves in Lower 48 States
March 5, 2013 — In an effort championed by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), 52 House members sent a letter today to the director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urging an about-face on the agency’s anticipated proposal to remove federal protections for wolves across most of the lower 48 United States.
More than a Mile of Dead Wolves Need Your Attention Now
by Bob Ferris When I was in high school the Viet Nam conflict was still in full swing and so was the draft. And as we neared graduation our guidance counselors had us take aptitude tests. Invariably all the aptitude test results for males—regardless of input—indicated a suitability for the military. I think about it … Continue reading More than a Mile of Dead Wolves Need Your Attention Now
Press Release: Anniversary of OR-7’s Arrival in California Inspires New Wolf Alliance
December 21, 2012 — Twenty-five wildlife conservation, education and protection organizations in California, Oregon and Washington today announced the formation of an alliance committed to recovering wolves across the region. The Pacific Wolf Coalition envisions populations of wolves restored across their historic habitats in numbers that will allow them to re-establish their critical role in nature and ensure their long-term survival. The announcement of the Pacific Wolf Coalition coincides with the one-year anniversary of the first wolf, OR-7, in California in nearly 90 years.
Federal protections for wolves in Western Oregon gone with new delisting by USFWS
Maintaining federal protection for wolves re-colonizing areas of the West is likely one of the most important elements to the scientifically defensible recovery of this species. Unfortunately, the proposal by US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to strip critical federal protections from gray wolves across all of the lower 48 states has become a reality. … Continue reading Federal protections for wolves in Western Oregon gone with new delisting by USFWS
Northern Rockies Wolves
The Northern Rockies states (i.e., Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) are mostly outside what is classically defined as Cascadia. That said, the source populations of wolves that could migrate into the lower portion of Cascadia (Oregon, California and Washington) are in the Northern Rockies. Elements of the livestock and hunting communities have worked diligently to spread … Continue reading Northern Rockies Wolves
California Wolves
The state of California is only beginning its wolf recovery story. In 1999, Bob Ferris (former Cascadia Wildlands Executive Director) wrote an opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle speculating about the potential for wolves to return to California. In 2011 OR-7, known as “Journey,” traveled to California from his birthplace in northeast Oregon as … Continue reading California Wolves