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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Wimer's Highland Games appeal to both the kilted and kiltless Public meetings in Jackson County for May 4-8, 2015 Dozens of drivers nabbed in Medford pedestrian sting Class of 2016 can get a primer on senior year Emergency services, May 2 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Dozens of drivers nabbed in Medford pedestrian sting Emergency services, May 2 Gold Hill man torched his foreclosed property No leads on who smashed about 20 windows in Ashland before dawn Thursday Ashland man allegedly dragged woman with vehicle Politics and Elections BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Education More kindergartners vaccinated in 2015 Elementary students honor local police officers Levy backers eye final push Two seats contested on Central Point School Board Neal Simon: This is a test Environment Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation Armed protesters gather at Medford BLM office over Sugar Pine Mine dispute Jackson County's wildlife services agent seen as both killer and savior Biomass technology: Creating products out of former waste State News PERS ruling means tough choices for state and local lawmakers US, Canada unveil rules to boost oil train safety Cylvia Hayes public records case goes before Salem judge Fixit tag for Portland's noted Portland Building: $175 million Fee targets rail cars that haul oil, other flammables Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Tim Lawrence Yockey Penelope Catherine (Turner) Martens William "Bill" Geisslinger Alice Irenia (McFall) Calkins Dennis Dean Ekwall Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Raiders' Abbott breaks 22-year-old record Dodge signs as free agent with Falcons North sweeps past South Lockie stands out in Ducks' spring game American Pharoah gives trainer long-awaited Derby win Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders' Abbott breaks 22-year-old record Dodge signs as free agent with Falcons Lockie stands out in Ducks' spring game Raiders go 1-1, advance to today Singler shines in Raider spring game Pro Sports American Pharoah gives trainer long-awaited Derby win Rams take Beavers' Mannion in third Singler shines in Raider spring game Hawks beat Nets 111-87 to wrap up series in Game 6 Mariota eager to get to work Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories Blog: Do You Want Cheese with Your Wine? Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Comcast deal dropped along with Pac-12 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option Real Estate News Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house GREEN ACRES: Southern Oregon provides escape from the maddening crowd People In Business Transportation Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, May 2 Other Views: Gun-bill recalls misguided, futile Philip Maddocks: Candidates eager to reconnect with everyday billionaires Matthew T. Mangino: Baltimore boils over again Granlund cartoon: Cities and fire starters Editorials Other Views: Gun-bill recalls misguided, futile Our View: Bill gives ex-convicts a glimmer of hope Our View: Medical marijuana market not at risk Our View: Don't wait on public records reform Our View: Yes to faster speeds, no to lane splitting Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 2 Letters to the Editor, May 1 Letters to the Editor, April 30 Letters to the Editor, April 29 Letters to the Editor, April 28 Columns Michael Gerson: A pastor's faith in Baltimore George Will: What stands in Lindsey Graham's way Dana Milbank: Billionaire politics Kathleen Parker: Comedy, tragedy and fear of free speech Michael Gerson: Weighing the baggage Hillary brings Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan The Medford School Board was wrong: 'American Pageant' is a political agenda, not history The Medford School Board was right: 'American Pageant' is a fine book, and the board did its homework Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Lifestyle Latest stories Go with the (low) flow Find the starry ‘kite’ in the eastern sky Life Lessons & Loves: An ode to the sane and wonderful mothers-in-law Dr. Murray Feingold: Turn down that noise Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Food Andrea Honaker: Mexican-inspired dips for Cinco de Mayo Set a table from your local farmers market Let's do brunch! Page H. Onorato: Enjoying good food just for the fun of it Page H. Onorato: Food items appear in the funnies Home and Garden Betty Montgomery: You can have a variety of ferns in your garden Clean out household chemicals Friday and Saturday Dear Monty: 10 tips to avoid tenant complaints Home Help: Upgrade your entryway with simple DIY projects Costa Living: Basking in flower power Health Dr. Murray Feingold: Turn down that noise Health Watch: Pack your pantry with healthy items HealthStyle: It’s all in the family dinner 'Game changer' for heart patients Health Watch: Tips for protecting your eyes Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Milestones and Achievements ENGAGEMENT: Sellers-James Witham's birthday bash draws hundreds for 1950s prices Charlesworth-Murphy Drizzle doesn't dampen Pear Blossom Parade spirit New Arrivals: Sunday, April 12 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 5 picks for live entertainment Live Music in Local Clubs Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' Camelot Theatre presents 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Theater REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Some Oregon Shakespeare Festival crew members seek to unionize Randall Theatre stages 'Little Shop of Horrors' 'Much Ado' at SOU Thanks for the Memories stages 'Company' one night only Music Thunder's Edge, Steel Cranes tonight at Club 66 The Farr Side: CMAs do it right, in many ways Live Music in Local Clubs Trio Brasileiro plays Old Siskiyou Barn Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Master Gardener Spring Fair at The Expo A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Foreign language film festival set at SOU Movies Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ has a lot going on Movie review: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ knows how to party Catching up with the Avengers Interview: Sofia Vergara talks ‘Hot Pursuit’ Quick Flicks: ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Insurgent’ and more Dining Taqueria Picaro offers casual Mexican cuisine Restaurant inspections: April 26, 2015 Island Grindz serves up Hawaiian specialties Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Restaurant inspections: April 19, 2015 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW PERS ruling means tough choices for state and local lawmakers ... Wimer's Highland Games appeal to both the kilted and kiltless ... REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' ... PERS ruling means tough choices for state and local lawmakers ... Wimer's Highland Games appeal to both the kilted and kiltless ... REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' ... WILDLIFE The new reality 20 years after reintroduction, Yellowstone wolves find balance Comment By BRETT FRENCH Billings Gazette MailTribune.com By BRETT FRENCH Billings Gazette Posted Jan. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM By BRETT FRENCH Billings Gazette Posted Jan. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — For six months every two years, Kirsty Peake and her husband move from the United Kingdom to Montana for one reason: to spend the winter watching wolves. “We never come in the summer; there are too many people,” she said while standing next to her spotting scope near Tower Junction on a relatively warm morning — about 28 degrees. Peake said after seeing the wolves for the first time in 1999, she and her husband were so enthralled that they organized tours to help pay for their return to Yellowstone again and again until 2005 — just to see the park’s wolves, and on some days they don’t. But on Monday, the 20th anniversary of the wolves’ reintroduction to Yellowstone, the wild canines seemed to have showed up to celebrate, even howling. The visibility gave 5-year-old Orion Stone a chance to see his first wild wolf. After Peake set up her spotting scope low to the ground, Stone squinted through the magnifying lens and smiled. “I really like it,” he said, when asked what he thought. Different park The popularity of wolves, drawing people from around the world, is certainly one of the success stories of wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone. Those people pay for lodging, transportation and food that benefit nearby communities and the park. The down side, wolf opponents would argue, is that there are now about 13,000 fewer elk than before wolves were reintroduced. When elk numbers were higher, hunters would gather at the park’s borders, feeding cash into the same communities. So 20 years later, are things better, worse or just different? Ecologically speaking, park biologists argue that returning such a top-shelf predator as wolves is a good thing — not to mention that restoring Yellowstone to its natural condition has been a long-term goal of the National Park Service. Although elk numbers have declined, those that remain are a tough breed, said Doug Smith, Yellowstone Wolf Project biologist. Other crews that help Yellowstone trap and collar some of the elk have confirmed that they are the “meanest, toughest elk they encounter anywhere else in the United States,” he said. Reducing the number of elk has freed riparian areas from grazing, increasing the amount of streamside foliage that has benefitted beavers and birds, studies have shown. “The really interesting question is: What is the next 20 years going to look like?” Smith said. “What we’re worried about is the monkey wrench that climate change throws into it,” he added. Equilibrium One thing that hasn’t changed is the controversy over having wolves on the landscape. People like Peake are enamored with the big predators. Others — some hunters, outfitters and ranchers — would just as soon see wolves eliminated from the western landscape once again. In Yellowstone, Smith thinks wolves and elk have reached an equilibrium. Wolf numbers will likely bounce around 100 animals annually, he said, with elk numbers seeming to have bottomed out at about 5,000 to 6,000. What wasn’t foreseen is that as elk numbers have declined, bison numbers in Yellowstone have risen. “That’s the big unanswered question: How are bison going to flip things?” Smith said. Bison are not on the preferred menu for wolves, simply because of their larger size and ability to harm attacking wolves. Bison also consume more forage than elk because of their large size. Seeing the bison numbers climb, the National Park Service has stepped in to say more will be shipped to slaughter this winter in an attempt to reduce bison populations. Expansion Outside of the Greater Yellowstone Area, wolves continue to move individually and in pairs into new territory including Utah, Colorado, Washington and Oregon. Carter Niemeyer, who captured wolves in Canada that were transplanted into Yellowstone and Idaho, is performing contract work at Washington State University as wolf numbers have grown in that state. “There’s still serious resistance to wolves coming into Oregon and Washington,” he said. “There is still the same issues that come up continuously about them being a different species, that they are diseased and carrying parasites, and they’re bloodthirsty and they’re having these extreme impacts on the livestock industry and wild ungulates. Those concerns still go on at the burning edge of the prairie fire as they move westward.” Yet he and other wolf advocates say despite the animosity and outright disapproval of wolf expansion in the lower 48 among some residents and lawmakers, “the fight goes on” for wolves. “There is a groundswell of support starting again from the public,” said Suzanne Stone of the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife. “That to me is the most encouraging thing. “Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.” Something new For Peake, things can’t get much better than watching wolves in Yellowstone. Even on days when the temperature plummets, the wind howls and no wolves are seen, she still feels thankful to be spending time in such a beautiful, wild area. “I think the most amazing thing I saw was last February,” she recounted. The alpha female of the Junction Butte wolf pack had been injured the evening before and was lying on her side on the slope of a hill as the rest of the pack tried to get her to stand up. She never moved until one wolf nudged her and she slid down the slope. A circling raven, seeing a possible meal, landed on the listless female wolf. “Her head came up as if to say, ‘Not on your life,’ ” Peake said. The wolf ended up losing her alpha status, finally recovered from her injuries and lived to regain her status and gave birth to five pups. “Every day we see something new,” Peake said. By BRETT FRENCH Billings Gazette MailTribune.com By BRETT FRENCH Billings Gazette Posted Jan. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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