The Oregon House of Representatives voted 33-23 this morning (with four representatives absent) in favor of a bill (House Bill 4040) to "ratif[y]" the November 2015 decision of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to remove gray wolves from Oregon's list of threatened and endangered species. We oppose the bill on grounds it will interfere with court review of the decision by Fish and Wildlife (even though supporters say that was not their motive); and also because it sets a bad precedent for political meddling in what should be a purely scientific decision.
Wolves are still protected from hunting in Oregon, but being on the list of threatened and endangered species gave them added protection. We think the decision to "delist" wolves should be subject to the same process as other species, without legislators (most of whom are influenced by politics and did not likely review the entire administrative record) weighing in on the matter.
To see how your representative voted on House Bill 4040, click here, then click on "Measure History" and then click the "+" sign next to the 2-12 entry. (A "no" vote is a good vote for animal welfare; a "yes" vote is bad.) If you don't know who your Representative is, you can find out here. If your representive voted "no," please say "thanks." If your representative voted "yes," consider telling him or her (nicely) that you care about animals and do not like his or her vote.
House Bill 4040 now moves to the Oregon Senate for further consideration. We will oppose the bill there also and keep you posted. It's not too early to tell your Senator you oppose the bill. If you don't know who your Senator is, you can find out here.
Thank you for your involvement on behalf of animals!