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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend February 15, 2007 Group will look into elk-ranching rules By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Brenda Ross believes the captive elk ranch she runs outside of Molalla is a tourist attraction and living biology lesson that should be experienced before it literally gets regulated to death. For $5 apiece, visitors get an up-front view of as many as 68 elk her family bought from a rural Central Point rancher two years ago. They learn how antlers grow and shed, what an ivory tooth is and why a bull will show you his. "Most people never get a chance to see elk," Ross says. "Here, they can see an elk up close, take pictures, even smell them." A coalition of hunting and animal-rights groups have sought to close down operations like the Ross' in five years or phase them out through attrition, saying fears of disease spread and possible problems if the elk escape outweigh their potential values here. Representatives from Oregon's 16 licensed elk ranches and their opponents will spend most of 2007 helping craft future restrictions on their operations and whether the industry will be phased out in Oregon. Advertisement The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday created a 15-person working group will dive into myriad issues about raising elk amid concerns about disease, escapes and other problems facing ranchers and native elk in other states. The commission set up the working group after denying two petitions from the so-called MadElk Coalition, whose members said they want to phase out elk ranching quickly here before a major disease outbreak or escape occurs. "The commission was looking for a four- to six-month turn-around," said Jan Wilson, a MadElk representative who will serve on the group. "I think it should work." Like similar groups have done for trap-check requirements and nuisance trappers, the so-called Cervid Rule Advisory Group will delve into forging new regulations for this niche industry. The group will study everything from mandatory testing all dead captive elk for Chronic Wasting Disease, fencing and record-keeping requirements, genetic testing and even electronic chip transplants to track any escaped elk. The group also tackle whether the state's cap on 16 commercial permits can be transferred or disappear with attrition. The group's conclusions will be recommendations to the commission, which would make its final decision in December, according to the timeline adopted Friday. "Obviously, I like raising elk and I want to do it for a long time, and you have opposition groups that want elk farming to go away," says Alan Ross, Brenda's husband and a likely elk-farming representative on the advisory group. "We have two definitely different mind-sets coming together," Alan Ross says. "It'll be interesting to see what we come up with." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help