SALEM, Ore.—After completing the last scheduled facilitated meeting with stakeholder representatives on Monday, Jan. 8, ODFW staff are working to finalize a revised Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. That plan will be presented to the commission at its March 15 meeting in Salem for final adoption.
Last year, commissioners decided to postpone wolf plan revisions and conduct additional facilitated outreach in hopes of getting more consensus from stakeholders. Professional facilitator Deb Nudelman with Kearns and West facilitated five meetings with stakeholders from late August 2018 through early January 2019.
While stakeholders representing ranching, hunting and wolf conservation came to agreement on some topics, there was no consensus on several of the most controversial issues including the number of livestock depredations that leads to consideration of lethal removal of wolves when nonlethal deterrents have not worked. Environmental group stakeholders with Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Center for Biological Diversity, and Defenders of Wildlife announced late last Friday, Jan. 4 that they would not attend the final meeting.
“We were disappointed these groups left the discussion and we did not have the full stakeholder group present at the final meeting,” said Derek Broman, ODFW Carnivore Coordinator. “Since the drafting of the original 2005 plan, stakeholders remain very passionate so consensus is challenging to achieve.”
The facilitated process was designed to create a space for stakeholders to negotiate and allow for give and take on all sides,” he continued. said.
Registration has opened for the 2019 Google Wind Challenge, a free hands-on program scheduled for March 16 in The Dalles and aimed at students interested in science, technology and wind energy.
Participating teams of middle and high school students will learn about wind turbine technology and design, then apply their skills in an all-day competition to build model turbines.
Teams are judged in terms of the efficiency of their designs, and prizes are awarded to the top three high and middle school teams.
Students are welcome to register online at www.windchallenge.org in teams of three to six students. Multiple teams from one school can register. The deadline for registration is Feb. 1.
The Cascade Singers community choir welcomes new members for its spring season.
Work has begun on a choir festival in February and the annual St. Patrick’s Day concert. A late spring concert will feature women composers.
The Singers meet under the direction of Miles Thoming-Gale Sundays, 7 to 9 p.m., at Zion Lutheran Church, 10th and Union Streets, The Dalles. One-hour work sessions also happen 7 p.m. Thursdays at First United Methodist Church.
Rehearsals are open to all interested singers. For further information contact the director at milesmansfield93@gmail.com.
City crews will be conducting street reflectivity tests throughout the week. They will be spotlighting signs throughout town.
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