OR suit against fed lion kill plan

[Emily]

Group seeks injunction barring federal cougar kill:

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /801230313

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Lawsuit will say a study that involves killing 66 cougars hasn't looked at environmental impact
By Mark Freeman
Mail Tribune
January 23, 2008
Wildlife advocates say they will sue the federal government today to stop the killing of cougars for a study in the Rogue Valley and two other areas, claiming biologists have not properly examined the effects that killing these predators have on the environment.

The suit, expected to be filed in U.S. District Court, will seek an injunction halting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services' killing of cougars on behalf of the state.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has hired Wildlife Services agents to kill up to 66 cougars in three target areas, including 24 cougars within 996 square miles in Jackson and Josephine counties, to determine whether killing cougars curbs damage and reduces human-safety complaints.

Nine cougars have been killed in the Rogue Valley — including two killed on Sunday — and 59 statewide since 2006 as part of the study, which is outlined in Oregon's two-year-old cougar management plan that has drawn intense criticism from across the country.

A draft of the suit claims that Wildlife Services violated federal law by not fully examining all the potential adverse environmental impacts and alternative actions before accepting the ODFW contract. It also chides the agencies for basing the plan and study on what critics consider poor science that other studies contradict.

It also asks a federal judge to halt the study immediately until all the environmental impacts and alternatives to conducting the study are fully vetted.

Brian Vincent, spokesman for the Williams-based group Big Wildlife, a co-plaintiff in the case, said having Wildlife Services kill cougars to ease livestock losses is tantamount to asking "the state and the federal government to do nanny care" for ranchers.

Ranchers instead should not leave livestock in fields at night where the animals are susceptible to predators, Vincent said.

"In reality, if they just took simple steps and personal responsibility, they'd avoid conflict," Vincent said.

Under the federal Environmental Policy Act, any major federal action that may affect the environment must be studied in the form of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement, which is larger and broader in scope than the assessment.

At the ODFW's request, Wildlife Services last year conducted an environmental assessment studying its participation in the study verses no participation. It compared the two choices' likely impacts on cougars, nontarget species and threatened species, as well as their social and economic impacts.

Having the so-called "government trapper" assume the role now filled by ODFW employees might actually ease suffering of the targeted cougars and could curb the loss of other species because of the trapper's experience, the assessment suggested.

After a public comment period, Wildlife Services ruled its participation created no significant environmental impact.

Dave Williams, Wildlife Services' Oregon director, defended the EA as adequate.

"When we thoroughly completed our EA, the information, data and scope of the process indicated it didn't warrant an EIS," Williams said.

Vincent called the cougar plan "bogus." He said the numbers of targeted cougars and the plan's potential impacts on other species cry out for an EIS under federal law.

Moreover, activists point to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2006 that they say suggests the ODFW's study is flawed and should not continue.

In that study, researchers in northeast Washington concluded that cougar populations in the Pacific Northwest are actually declining due in part to increased human intrusion on cougar habitat and a very young age structure of the cougar population caused by heavy hunting.

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

[WAcoyotehunter]

This is a perfectly typical example of the Anti's emotion based lawsuits and claims. Clearly Vincent has never been around a ranch...

Ranchers instead should not leave livestock in fields at night where the animals are susceptible to predators, Vincent said.

"In reality, if they just took simple steps and personal responsibility, they'd avoid conflict," Vincent said.

Are you kidding me?

[Tim Cook]

Vincent is a wacko, Ill give you that WAcoyotehunter, but the plan is just a bunch of BS and needs to go away! Any time you let the government come in and control big game species, any big game speceis, it just opens a whole lot of doors to let them come in and take more hunting rights from the sportsman and just manage herd #'s them selves!
Hunting is a right not a privlage like they cram down everybodys throat.
I don't know about your great grandparents, but mine did't live off twigs and berrys and I'm gonna guess yours didn't either. This is the begining of hunters having there heritage taken away from them in Oregon!!!

[Buddyw]

I seen this a couple days ago, I didn't realiaze it was a federal suit..

That might not be such a bad thing if they win.. Put it back to ODFW and OHA to go back to the drawing board and maybe get a plan that includes Sport hunters managing wildlife that would have some support behind it from hunters..

Maybe even push some pressure on the legislature to change the laws so they "don't have their hands tied" as they always throw up their hands and claim.

Can't hunt cougars anyways in oregon .. So unless your planning on Volunteering to kill cougars for the Government I don't see any change as far as Hunting goes today with the Cougar Plan, and two years before the cougar plan.. with the exception that I do Feel bad for the Ranchers.. they are the ones that feel all this pressure from the mis-management of these cats.. But hopefully they keep pushing back until Oregon gets it right.... Someday..

I sure as hell won't waste any time trying to Protect the Oregon Cougar Plan.. there's nothing for us to protect..

?? Just my thoughts..

[Melanie Hampton]

That might not be such a bad thing if they win.. Put it back to ODFW and OHA to go back to the drawing board and maybe get a plan that includes Sport hunters managing wildlife that would have some support behind it from hunters..

That is what I thought too.. After I got over the pissed off of the people with 5 goats and 3 acres being called ranchers If they win this then it sure starts narrowing down options, doesn't it...

[Tim Cook]

don't really see anything changeing until we get a differant Govanor. Another problem is all the hound guys that say they don't like the plan and that they won't volunteer for the plan but then they go out and catch and kill cats for there friends or go catch and kill a cat that is causing problems for a complaining niebor, These guys are no better then the governmant hunters/trappers and are just helping the plan!!!
NEWS FLASH, A DEAD COUGAR DOESN'T CAUSE PROBLEMS!!!
Remember that next time you guys kill a cougar in Oregon!!!

[oregonhillbilly]

For what its worth I say this:We don't use our dogs to help fish and game to catch and kill these target animals that are causing problems(as I know a few people do so they can have the "opportunity" to run their dogs)and let the population grow out of control.For example the cougar that was dispatched in the fellows back yard two days ago in the Lapine area,after it tried to supposedly kill the owners pet dog.Then ,"like was said before", it will force the state and others to take a look at other ways to manage the populations.Why should it be alright for the government to use the method of hounds to succesfully manage these animals and not ourselves,the general public?It would be cheaper for the tax payers if they was to revise the laws. Allow the houndsmen to have their cougar season back,rather then paying a government employee to do the work we was already doing successfully for so many years.That's before there was so many people who decided it was more important to give the cougar more rights then the people.
Charles

[Tim Cook]

It's alright for the government becuase in the eyes of Portland, Eugene, and Bend the Government are trained pros and can do nothing wrong.

[oregonhillbilly]

Don't everyone thing this is just an Oregon thing either! It's not just an issue for us Oregon hunters it's an issue for everyone to stand up and take notice.Sooner or later they will be on your back door and harrassing you guys in other states and wanting to take your rights away from you also!

[TomJr]

They are already here in Arizona we lost 4 months of lion season last year without even any public input (May June July and August). Bobcats and foxes ect are still year round tho. I don't know if you can still run lions in those months but my dogs can't tell the differance and there is no snow then so on this rocky ground no real way to tell until there is one in a tree or we find a kill site, so am going to assume you can and not worry about it.

[twispcougarhunter]

You Oregon guys may not know that your neighbor Wash. has had a pilot cougar project going for around 4 yrs. now in 5 counties. We started having so many cougar attacks and problems the Co. Commissioners went and told the state they are reinstating hound hunting period. The state stepped in and decided to do a pilot study and they are now done with it. If anybody in Oregon wants to know if killing some cougars helps reduce the cougar problems you can contact Wa. Dept. of fish and wildlife for the results. There's no sense in doing something that's already been done. Except that we were allowed to hunt them ourselves the hunters. Taking out around 30 cougars every year in each county has pretty much totally eliminated the cougar complaints. IT WORKS. As far as getting your government to allow everybody to take part, I can't help you. Surely they will realize that hunters will buy licenses, spend money and they don't have to hire anybody but make money off it. I think they do actually realize it but they have those bunny huggers to appease too. Our legislature is suppose to vote on reinstating cougar hunting in all counties within about the next 6 weeks. They've proved it's badly needed and now it's time to let all the state get back to what we had before 1996 when the voters voted it out. gotta git Bill W.

[Emily]

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news ... -2008.html

Contacts: Michael Moss, Goat Ranchers of Oregon and Ranchers for Rural Responsibility, (541) 899-1694
Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495
Ranchers Sue to Stop Federal Cougar Killing;
Say Plan Violates Federal Law, Lacks Scientific Credibility

PORTLAND, Ore.— A group of ranchers, along with wildlife advocates, filed suit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to stop the federal government from indiscriminately killing cougars across the state. The plaintiffs charge that officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services did not examine all the adverse environmental impacts of their decision to kill cougars on behalf of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.

“The plan to kill up to 2,000 cougars in Oregon will hurt ranchers and farmers. By killing established adult cougars, government officials are skewing the population towards younger cats more often implicated in conflict with domestic animals. By implementing a plan based on bad science and inaccurate cougar population estimates, officials are actually creating the problem their plan claims to address,” said Michael Moss of Goat Ranchers of Oregon and Ranchers for Rural Responsibility, a collective of agricultural interests.

In 2006, the state approved a plan to kill up to 2,000 cougars across Oregon. The federal government then agreed to help carry out that plan. In its lawsuit, the ranchers contend the federal government’s implementation of the plan is based on scientifically flawed data. For instance, a study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management in 2006 found that cougar populations in the Pacific Northwest are actually declining, due in part to increased human intrusion on cougar habitat and a young age structure of the cougar population caused by heavy hunting. The Journal study also recommended reduced hunting levels, particularly among adult females, throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“There is absolutely no scientific basis for killing as many as 2,000 cougars in Oregon as proposed by the Oregon Department of Wildlife,” said Noah Greenwald, conservation biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. “By maintaining the health of deer and elk populations, the cougar is a critical component of the web of life in Oregon.”

Though agriculture interests have typically been staunch opponents of protecting cougars, a growing number of ranchers and farmers in the state are coming to the defense of the big cats. They have argued that rather than killing cougars, Oregon should educate ranchers and farmers — as well as the general public — about how to avoid conflicts with wildlife. Individuals can take simple steps — such as avoiding feeding wildlife, bringing companion animals in at night, sheltering domestic farm and ranch animals, installing motion lighting around their property, recreating with others while in cougar country, and educating their families about cougars without instilling undue fear — to prevent encounters with cougars and other wildlife. The ranchers' suit claims the U.S. Department of Agriculture largely ignored the use of non-lethal, preventative alternatives for managing cougars.

In addition to the ranchers, the lawsuit was brought on behalf of Big Wildlife, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Center for Biological Diversity, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Mountain Lion Foundation, and Umpqua Watersheds.

[Emily]

http://bigwildlife.weebly.com/uploads/6 ... awsuit.pdf

[16 page pdf file]

[bobtail]

it never was the govement that screwed up the lion hunting in oregon it was and still is the VOTERS we have a deer or elk problem in oregon they have a hunt called a damage hunt where they let the hunters take care of the problem we have a cougar problem they hire an agent to take care of the problem makes a lot of sense to add salt to the wounds i heard havent confirmed it yet the fish and wildlife agent killed a large tom hear in the heppner unit and their getting it mounted for their office wonder whose paying for that????

[Emily]

http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article ... e_id=17509

The fur is flying
hcn online - February 8, 2008 by Evelyn Schlatter
Michael Moss’ 64-acre goat ranch sits on the edge of BLM land in southwestern Oregon. It’s “healthy cougar country,” he says, and he’d like it to stay that way. That’s not something you’d expect to hear from most livestock owners, but Moss is a member of Goat Ranchers of Oregon, a group that advocates smart land stewardship. And that stewardship, Moss notes, should include not only deer and elk, but their predators as well.
That’s why Goat Ranchers of Oregon has teamed up with six conservation groups to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services. The plaintiffs are concerned that under Oregon’s 2006 cougar management plan, Wildlife Services, under contract with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is killing cougars in certain parts of the state without having adequately studied the environmental impacts of removing the big cats.

According to the cougar management plan, an estimated 5,100 cats roamed the state as of 2003. Oregon Fish and Wildlife wants to maintain a population of at least 3,000. But that plan is drawing fire from individuals and groups who interpret that to mean 2,000 cats will be indiscriminately killed. The agency, however, says that it intends to eliminate only as many cougars as necessary to reduce conflicts with humans and livestock.

The agency’s reasoning is flawed, says Noah Greenwald, a conservation biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. He notes that increased complaints about cougar conflicts don’t necessarily mean there are more cougars; rather, they might reflect human encroachment on cat habitat or inaccurate sighting complaints. Fish and Wildlife lacks the data needed for an accurate picture of cougar numbers, he says. Furthermore, he adds, recent studies suggest that over-hunting may compound cougar problems, by taking older, more established cougars and leaving younger, inexperienced cougars, which tend to go for “easy meals” like livestock.