Local cattleman Rod Childers holds forth on the problem of wolves at Sheep creek Hill. Bruce Dunn of the Natural Resource Advisory Council towed a portable toilet for members of the delegation.

Eight Democratic legislators and a number of state officials traveled to Wallowa County on Oct. 27 for a bus trip intended to help Western Oregon lawmakers learn more about agriculture in the state’s northeastern corner. The delegation, which also included members of state agencies and conservation groups, came to hear the stories of ranchers and foresters who make their living on the land. The event was the brainchild of Dist. 29 Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena. District 58 Rep. Greg Barreto and Wallowa County Commissioner Susan Roberts also were among the attendees.

The group departed Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise on a Joseph Charter School bus early in the morning.

Although most of the trip focused on ranchers’ problems with wolves, Bruce Dunn of the Natural Resource Advisory Council and Wallowa Resources Executive Director Nils Christoffersen spoke about the Wallowa-Whitman Forest Collaborative. They also spoke about working with the U.S. Forest Service to facilitate the proposed Lower Joseph Creek Project.

State Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose said she found the discussion of the Wallowa-Whitman Forest Collaborative to be particularly educational.

“Forest collaboratives are something I’ve viewed with a certain degree of skepticism, borne out of the fact that I wasn’t sure the state of Oregon should be spending money to do work I think the Forest service should be doing,” Johnson said. “After listening to people say the collaboratives may be the last best chance to put people to work, get money for local counties and reduce fire danger, I decided we shouldn’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.”

The event included a partial trip down Redmond grade to visit Troy for a firsthand look at some of the devastation caused by the Grizzly Bear Complex fire. Roberts stopped the journey about halfway down the grade, where the group got a clear view of some of the fire, including one home and property that bore the remnants of fire retardant. Chelsea Matthews, wife of rancher Buck Matthews, gave a compelling account of the family’s experience with the fire, and how two of their cowdogs were mauled by wolves in the aftermath of the blaze.

The tour traveled to Sheep Creek Hill, east of Joseph, where area ranchers expressed their frustration with wolves and getting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to confirm wolf depredations.

Johnson described the trip as an eye-opener. “I enjoyed the trip enormously, found it informative, and preparations on the ground were terrific,” Johnson said. “A lot of people took a lot of time to help us understand the issues.”

Johnson also said that after listening to ranchers express their frustration about their lack of options if they disagreed with the ODFW about a questionable wolf depredation, she was in favor of creating a separate and neutral adjudicating body as an appeal avenue for ranchers. She also said she favored more state money being furnished to ranchers for nonlethal wolf deterrents and for depredation compensation.

The bus returned to Enterprise in late afternoon, when politicians attended a meeting with environmental groups at the county extension office. Members of the media were barred from the meeting at the request of the groups.

Dunn, of the Natural Resource Advisory Council, described the trip as a success.

“It’s one of the best of this type of trip I’ve been on,” Dunn said. “The legislators asked questions, and it was a dialogue between people, not one-sided like some trips.”

Commissioner Roberts echoed the sentiment.

“The legislators asked very good and pointed questions whether it was the forest, fires or wolves,” Roberts said. “They engaged with the people of our county. In my opinion, it was more effective than some others we’ve done.”

Sen. Hansell, who initiated the event, said he was pleased with the results.

“I heard nothing but very positive responses of my colleagues, about what they saw and who they met,” Hansell said. “They had questions answered and were already talking among themselves, asking what they could do legislatively to help.”

Hansell also said he was glad that several state departments sent key personnel as representatives.

“They’re the nuts and bolts who will implement the policies we hope to legislate,” Hansell said.