Wolves

SALEM — Frustrated that a judge has blocked a state kill order on two members of Oregon’s first wolf pack, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association is pushing legislation to boost the state’s authority over the predators.

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SALEM — A review panel said state wildlife biologists have been thorough in their investigations into suspected wolf-livestock conflicts, and their conclusions are consistent with evidence uncovered at the scene of cattle deaths.

Since gray wolves were reintroduced in the northern Rocky Mountain region in 1995, environmentalists have fought a pitched battle with ranchers and state officials that has included a lot of heated rhetoric and court cases. 

Wolves, as they reclaim their role as top predators in Oregon, may change the landscape in ways anyone can see, according to scientists who study wolves and their environment.

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Like an itinerant preacher, Casey Anderson has a message.

ENTERPRISE — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed another livestock kill by Imnaha pack wolves Wednesday.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department is barred by a court order from killing wolves that kill cattle in Eastern Oregon, but authorized ranchers are not, according to the department.

Everything rides on the decision when state wildlife biologists declare a dead cow in Oregon a wolf kill.

OLYMPIA — After more than four years of work and 300,000 ideas submitted, Washington now has a Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. The Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously adopted the plan Dec. 3, but not everyone is happy with it.