A Defenders of Wildlife-type wolf depredation plan has been passed by the Oregon Legislature................Praise from both Ranchers and Conservation Groups for reaching a consensus to pay Ranchers when it is proven that wolves have killed their livestock............Gives the 2 dozen wolves on the ground in Oregon some breathing room to "spread their seed and multiply"............gives the Ranchers some $$ when a depredation event occurs...............I would like to see the money paid to the Ranchers for preventive measures taken to guard cattle and sheep........clean up the boneyards.......etc,etc...........and prevent conflicts from happening in the first place

Oregon Legislators Vote To Protect Both Wolves & Livestock

by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY  

The Oregon legislature has pass a bill that will establish a program under which wolves are protected and livestock owners whose cattle are killed by wolves will be compensated. A deadlock over the law was cleared after three days of closed door meetings between the governor's office, conservationists and ranchers.

The Republic sums up the compensation/conservation package:

House Bill 3560 would direct the Oregon Department of Agriculture to establish and implement a wolf depredation fund providing $100,000 to be used for grants to counties dealing with wolf issues. Most of the money would go to paying ranchers, included cases where wolves are not proven responsible. Some would pay for non-lethal protection measures, such as range riders.

Defenders of Wildlife, which has run its own wolf compensation fund in the northern Rockies, calls the legislation "one of the most innovative livestock loss compensation and prevention programs" in the United States.
Defenders' Suzanne Stone provides context:
 "With fewer than two dozen wolves on the ground in Oregon, it's essential that we pursue all opportunities to maximize their chances of survival. That includes finding better ways for wolves and livestock to share the landscape. Livestock losses on public land are common for a variety of reasons: bad weather, disease, loss and theft to name a few. We may not be able to prevent every single loss, but those ranchers who do their part to minimize the risk of depredation will have less to fear from wolf related losses."