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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 Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt musicians ... Our View: Sams Valley residents outmatched in power struggle ... Ashland struggles with increase in 911 calls ... Host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt musicians ... Our View: Sams Valley residents outmatched in power struggle ... Ashland struggles with increase in 911 calls ... THREATENED SPECIES Biologists say there's enough data to decide Oregon wolf protection Comment By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 3:38 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 3:41 PM By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 3:38 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 3:41 PM » Social News GRANTS PASS — State biologists are telling the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission there is enough information to consider taking the gray wolf off the state endangered species list. A draft status review was posted Tuesday on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website with materials for the commission's next meeting. The meeting's agenda includes a formal staff recommendation that the commission determine there is significant information to start the rulemaking process. A final decision is not scheduled until August in Salem, but the commission is to make the first step in the process — deciding whether it has enough information to consider the issue — when it meets April 24 in Bend. At last count, Oregon had 77 wolves descended from animals introduced in Idaho in the 1990s. The 76-page status report says they are projected to increase at a rate of 7 percent a year, and the probability of a major drop in population is very low. There is plenty of habitat available on public lands, and wolves continue to expand their range, establishing at least one new pack in the western third of the state. The rate of wolf attacks on livestock has been low, the review notes. Hoping to gain greater freedom to kill wolves attacking livestock, the Oregon Cattlemen's Association has been pressing for the commission to delist wolves since a statewide census last winter showed they had exceeded their restoration goal of four breeding pairs producing pups that survive a year for three years running. At last count, there were at least seven breeding pairs, six in northeastern Oregon and one, led by the famous wanderer OR-7, in the southern Cascades. Arguing that wolf numbers are still too low to justify lifting protections, conservation groups favor continuing endangered-species status to assure wolves continue to thrive. A bill (HB 3515) to prohibit the commission from listing wolves as threatened or endangered has been introduced in the Legislature. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Thursday in the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Taking wolves off the state's endangered list would not open up hunting. However, their rising numbers have already triggered a relaxation of rules that now make it possible for ranchers to shoot wolves they see attacking herds.     By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jeff Barnard The Associated Press Posted Apr. 14, 2015 at 3:38 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 3:41 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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 Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501