Court: State plan to kill wolves still on hold

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

The Imnaha wolf pack alpha male is one of two wolves sentenced to die to reduce wolf attacks on livestock in northeast Oregon.

The Oregon Court of Appeals decided today to keep a temporary ban on killing the two trouble-making wolves in the Imnaha pack.
The court also required conservation groups to provide $5,000 in security to repay ranchers for wolf depredations while the court considers whether the state’s plan to kill the wolves is legal.
Wolves in the Imnaha pack have been tied to numerous livestock losses in Oregon’s Wallowa County. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to kill two wolves to shrink the size of the pack and reduce the likelihood of more depredations.

Conservation groups have challenged the state’s plan in court and have asked for the plan to be halted while the court considers their case. The court agreed to stop the state from killing the wolves temporarily while the case was deliberated.
The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association asked the court to reconsider, but the group’s motion was denied. So, the state’s plan to kill the wolves is still on hold.
A bit more intriguing is that the court wants a $5,000 security deposit to cover potential livestock losses (you can read more details in the court document here) caused by the two wolves that would have been dead if the state’s plan had gone forward. Of course there are several conditions on how that money might be spent.
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Here’s the meaty part: