Oregon committee hears wide-ranging testimony on SB 777, a proposal to raise wolf compensation and boost nonlethal funding

SALEM, Ore. — Lawmakers and stakeholders delivered sharply divided testimony March 11 during a public hearing on Senate Bill 777, a proposal that would change how Oregon reimburses ranchers for confirmed livestock losses to wolves and increase funding for nonlethal deterrence.

Sen. Todd Nash, R-29, and Rep. Bobby Levy, R-58, who presented the measure to the Legislature’s Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water, said the bill aims to make compensation more generous and to broaden participation in the state’s county-based wolf compensation program. “Senate Bill 777 … offers a fair, responsive framework to provide market based compensation, increased funding for deterrence and give local counties greater control over how these programs are implemented,” Rep. Bobby Levy said.

Supporters — including county commissioners, ranchers and livestock organizations — said the current program underpays producers and discourages participation. Wallowa County Commissioner Lisa Collier told the committee that recent depredations have left ranchers unable to replace lost breeding stock: “The replacement cattle that they had to buy for their ranch was over $200,000,” she said.

Testimony from producers described recent and ongoing depredation events, stress on animals and…