Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Damage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Grant County hears $93,000 animal-damage request as wolf impacts discussed
Summary
ODFW and county animal-control staff asked the committee to fund a predator-control position and requested $93,000 for the program; committee members debated using general-fund dollars versus reallocations from the airport and fair.
Shane Koyle of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Animal Control Officer Nolan Riis presented an overview of the past winter's animal-damage responses, including work on beaver dams, coyote and skunk control. Koyle said the program's purpose is "to protect agricultural resources and human health and safety" and noted the program receives some ODFW support.
Koyle told the committee, "they are asking for $93,000 this year, the same amount that they received two years ago, and would make the position % time." Committee members discussed wildlife impacts, with Commissioner John Rowell stressing effects on fawn survival and urging stronger ODFW predator control. Riis presented a breakdown of loss incidents dating from July 2022; the minutes record a total-loss figure in garbled text (transcript: "ss0,23s"), so an exact dollar total is not specified in the record.
Members debated funding sources. Budget Officer Julie Ellison noted predator-control dollars come from lottery funds while the animal-damage program uses general-fund dollars. Amy Kreger and Kathy Smith questioned adding more general-fund support while other departments were reduced; one suggestion was taking $5,000 from both the airport and the fair to provide an additional $10,000 for animal damage.
