Document text
Bill clarifies when cougars may be killed By PETER WONG SALEM -- Though supporters and critics agree that the bill may not do a lot, the Oregon House decided Friday that people may kill cougars that threaten public safety. The debate repeated many arguments for and against a 1994 ballot measure that bars the use of dogs and bait to hunt cougars and bears. That measure, which voters upheld in 1996, allows their use to avert animal damage to land, livestock and crops. House Bill 2875 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, or is repeatedly sighted during the day around people." It passed 39-18 and went to the Senate. The bill gives humans as much as consideration as livestock, said Rep. Mark Simmons, R-Elgin. "These are not housecats," he said. "When they are hungry, they look at you -- and I am sure it is nothing personal, but they see lunch." Rep. Judy Uherbelau, D-Ashland, said a cougar should be defined as a threat to public safety by at least two of the four factors listed in the bill, not just one. "I think it is important that we have something in place for reasons of public safety, but I have some concerns about this," she said. Simmons' original bill would have let the state Fish and Wildlife Commission allow hunting of cougars within "safety zones," but he agreed to narrow its scope. Rep. Susan Morgan, R-Myrtle Creek, said the issue is safety. "In rural areas and small towns of this state, we have routinely trained our school children in recognizing cougars and what to do if they confront a cougar," said Morgan. "These sightings are that common." Rep. Jo Ann Bowman, D-Portland, said the 1994 ballot measure offers sufficient protection. "Oregonians have spoken on this issue," she said. "From all the mail I have received so far, they are paying attention to what we do." The House rejected a second measure, House Bill 2874, that would have authorized cougar hunting in five counties of northeast Oregon. State wildlife officials say the population of cougars has grown from 3,000 in 1994 to 4,000 today. Complaints they have received about damage to livestock and close encounters with humans have exceeded 700 every year since, although critics of the state agency say many sightings are not confirmed independently and much of the damage is attributable to other causes. After Friday's votes, Spencer Lennard of Williams, director of the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center and a spokesman for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the House passed the less objectionable bill but neither bill was necessary. "I think it is important to note that mountain lions are generally not a threat to humans or livestock," he said. "You are a thousand times more likely to be hit by lightning or die of a bee sting. Why is our Legislature putting forth legislation that would harm an extinction-prone species?" Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA