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Bill backs killing menacing cougars By PETER WONG SALEM -- Both houses of the Oregon Legislature have cleared a bill that lets people kill cougars threatening public safety, despite restrictions of a 1994 ballot measure. The Senate's 17-11 vote Tuesday sent the bill back to the House for action on minor amendments. It then goes to Gov. John Kitzhaber. House Bill 2875, which the House passed May 21, defines a cougar as a threat to public safety when it: Shows little or no fear of people. Displays aggressive behavior toward people. Crouches, advances or snarls at a person. Is repeatedly sighted during the day around people. The language is drawn from a policy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A law that Oregon voters approved in 1994 bars the use of bait and dogs to hunt bears and cougars. The law, which voters upheld in 1996, also allows their use to avert animal damage to land, livestock and crops. It also does not restrict actions by state and federal agents. "This bill says a person is worth as much as a tree," said Sen. Gary George, R-Newberg. This bill is likely to be the only one passed this session to deal with cougars. In its original form, the bill would have let the state Fish and Wildlife Commission allow hunting of cougars within designated "safety zones." The Senate passed such a bill in 1997, but it died in the House. Sen. Charles Starr, R-Hillsboro, said the bill is consistent with a state agency policy that now allows cougar kills with permits. "We believe this is important for the protection of people," said Starr, the bill's floor manager. "Our cougar population has expanded greatly in this state. They are advancing into areas where they should not be." But Sen. John Lim, R-Gresham, said the conflicts are caused by humans moving into the cougar's habitat. State wildlife officials say the cougar population has grown from 3,000 in 1994 to 4,000 today. Complaints they have received about livestock damage and close encounters with humans have exceeded 700 annually. But some critics say the state does not make independent confirmations of many of those reports, and much of the damage is attributable to other causes. One of those critics is Spencer Lennard of Williams, who spoke for the Oregon Sierra Club. He said cougars generally are nocturnal and not usually seeking confrontations. "I think it is important to note that mountain lions are not a threat to humans or livestock," he said. "You are a thousand times more likely to be struck by lightning or die of a bee sting. So why is our Legislature putting forth legislation that would harm an extinction-prone species?" Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA