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Lake County officials escalate concerns about wolf OR158 after recent livestock kills
Summary
Commissioners described recent livestock kills linked to wolf OR158 and said the county has elevated a removal request to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior; officials urged producers to preserve evidence and said federal and state wildlife staff are engaged.
Lake County officials told the Board of Commissioners on March 19, 2025, that new livestock losses attributed to wolf OR158 have prompted continued coordination with state and federal wildlife officials and local livestock producers.
Vice‑Chair Barry Shullanberger, who attended a recent meeting with producers and officials, described OR158's unusual movements and livestock killings in multiple counties. He said the county's request to remove OR158 had been forwarded to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supervisor Kessina Lee and District Wildlife Biologist Jon Muir had participated in local discussions. Shullanberger reminded producers to preserve and report any suspected wolf kills to aid investigations.
Chair Mark Albertson said he has discussed pursuing delisting of the gray wolf across Oregon with state representatives because he believes a patchwork of delisting rules across regions is constitutionally problematic; he read part of the 14th Amendment during his remarks. Albertson and Shullanberger both said nonlethal hazing techniques had not deterred OR158 and that further meetings with producers are likely.
No immediate change in state or federal designation was recorded at the meeting; commissioners described ongoing coordination and advocacy on behalf of affected livestock producers.
