A revised Wolf Management Plan is headed for a vote by Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commissioners on March 15. The amended plan forsakes non-lethal control measures and is so anti-wolf and pro-rancher that, after five months of stakeholder meetings, all the conservation groups have pulled up stakes.
Truth is, carpetbagger ranchers pay almost nothing to graze cattle on public lands, less than ten cents on the dollar compared to similar private lands. Still, they refuse to share any of the natural bounty with our native wolves.
Meanwhile, cows gobble the forage, trample the land and muddy the waters as they stampede toward the slaughterhouse, passing climate-warming methane gas along the way.
I would rather a cow die to nourish a wild wolf than line a rancher’s pocket. It’s only dollars and cents for ranchers, but life or death for wolves. We have barely 100 of these iconic creatures in our state. Since they can’t speak for themselves, wolves need our help to survive.
Send a message to the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commissioners and to Gov. Brown who appoints them. Let ’em hear you howl!
Benton Elliott
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.