Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (Draft)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Attachment 2 OREGON WOLF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN (DRAFT) OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE DRAFT, APRIL 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (March 2017) The Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (Plan) was first adopted in 2005 and updated in 2010. This update, which began in March 2016, is the result of a yearlong evaluation of the Plan. Some of the proposed changes contained within this initial draft are general updates and reorganization of content. Other changes are more substantive in nature, and include management improvements based on information gained over years of wolf management in Oregon. This Draft Plan may undergo additional changes and reorganization as it goes through the public involvement process. In general, changes made in this initial draft of the Plan include: 1) updates to base information (i.e., status, population, distribution, etc.), 2) new science related to the biology and management of wolves, and 3) management improvements based on information gained through years of wolf management in Oregon. Chapter II (Wolf Conservation) includes detailed information on the three phases of wolf management and discusses the state’s two wolf management zones. Chapter III (Wolf-Livestock Conflicts) includes information on the use of non-lethal deterrents, the use of controlled take in certain situations, and expands livestock producer options for investigating potential wolf depredations of livestock. Readers should note that while some sections of earlier versions of this plan are condensed or combined, earlier versions of this Plan will continue to be made available on the ODFW wolf website at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/Wolves/index.asp. The Plan’s goal remains the same: To ensure the conservation of gray wolves as required by Oregon law while protecting the social and economic interests of all Oregonians. The 2005 Plan was originally crafted using an adaptive approach that requires periodic and formal evaluation using information gained through the actual management of wolves. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) considered the following principles while reviewing and updating the plan. • Adhere to the factors included in the 2015 delisting analysis when considering any proposed changes. • Maintain conservation focus for wolves in all population phases. • Maintain flexible management options of the 2005 Plan when addressing conflict as the wolf population increases. • Address ODFW personnel and budget limitations when evaluating future commitments. • Develop an effective workload sharing program with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to monitor expanding wolf populations and address wolf-livestock conflicts in the federally listed portion of Oregon. Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) were listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the state ESA when the Plan was updated in 2010. Gray wolves were establishing their populations in northeastern Oregon at that time; today, the status of wolves in the state is more complex. In 2011, the USFWS delisted the gray wolf from the federal ESA east of Oregon Highways 395, 78, and 95 as part of the larger Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment; wolves west of this boundary remained federally listed. In January 2015, the Oregon conservation population objective was reached. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) initiated a biological status review to determine if the species required continued listing under the Oregon ESA. That review led to the delisting of wolves in Oregon in November 2015. While these changes represent landmarks in the modern history of the gray wolf, this Plan strives to provide continued conservation and effective management of wolves into the future. DRAFT Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan Page | ii OREGON WOLF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 A. Background ........................................................................................................... 1 B. History of Wolves in Oregon ............................................................................. 1 C. Biology and Ecology ............................................................................................ 3 D. Legal Status ........................................................................................................... 3 E. Wolf Plan Development and Update ................................................................ 5 II. WOLF CONSERVATION, MONITORING, AND GAME MAMMAL STATUS ............................................................................................................................. 6 A. Wolf Distribution ................................................................................................. 6 B. Population Objectives and Management Phases ........................................... 11 C. Potential Conservation Threats ........................................................................ 17 D. Monitoring Wolf Populations .......................................................................... 24 E. Coordination with Other Governments, Agencies, and Organizations ..... 25 F. Wolves as Special Status Game Mammals ...................................................... 26 III. WOLF-LIVESTOCK CONFLICTS........................................................................... 30 A. Livestock Depredation and Other Effects ..................................................... 30 B. Working Dog and Pet Depredation ................................................................ 33 C. Tools for Minimizing Livestock Depredation ................................................ 34 D. Strategies to Address Livestock Conflict ........................................................ 39 E. Agency Response to Wolf Depredation ......................................................... 46 F. Livestock Producer Assistance ......................................................................... 49 IV. WOLF-UNGULATE INTERACTIONS, AND INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CARNIVORES .............................................................................................. 51 A. Potential Effects of Wolf Predation on Oregon’s Ungulates ...................... 51 B. Elk and Mule Deer Populations since Wolf Re-establishment .................... 59 C. Big Game Wildlife Management Units and Management Objectives ........ 60 D. Wolf Interactions with other Carnivores – Multiple Predator Systems ...... 65 E. Strategies to Address Wolf-Ungulate Interactions ........................................ 68 V. WOLF-HUMAN INTERACTIONS .......................................................................... 71 A. Human Safety ..................................................................................................... 71 B. Interactions with the Public .............................................................................. 72 C. Hunters, Trappers and Wolves ........................................................................ 73 D. Dogs and Wolves ............................................................................................... 74 E. Illegal, Incidental, and Accidental Take .......................................................... 74 F. Strategies to Address Wolf-Human Interactions ........................................... 75 VI. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION .................................................................... 77 VII. REPORTING AND EVALUATION ....................................................................... 78 VIII. RESEARCH AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ...................................... 79 IX. BUDGET FOR IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................... 82 X. LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................ 84 DRAFT Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan Page | iii Appendix A: Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................................100 Appendix B: Wolf Biology, Ecology, and Diseases ...................................................................102 Appendix C: Federal/State Coordination Strategy ...................................................................116 Appendix D: Wolf Range Mapping ..............................................................................................132 DRAFT Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan Page | iv I. INTRODUCTION A. Background In 1999, Wolf B-45, a radio-collared female from Idaho, was the first wolf from the reintroduced Idaho population known to have travelled to Oregon. One of Oregon’s most famous wolves, it was later captured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service near the Middle Fork of the John Day River and returned to Idaho. Shortly after, two other wolves which originated from the Idaho reintroduced population were found dead – in May 2000 a radio-collared male wolf was struck by a vehicle south of Baker City, and in October 2000 an uncollared male wolf was found shot between Ukiah and Pendleton. The news that wolves were back in Oregon after so long sparked intense interest and heated debates across the state, and prompted Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) to initiate development of a state Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (Plan). They appointed a 14- member committee to oversee the work and, over a three-year period, the Plan was drafted