The first family of wolves to live in Oregon in approximately 70 years are at the heart of a civil lawsuit that was filed by Oregon Wild. The conservation group is concerned about the effect that logging in the area near where the wolf is raising her pups will have a negative effect on the family.
In Oregon, the wolf is protected by state laws. They are also still classified as endangered in western Oregon, despite the endangered label being lifted in other areas of the country.
The wolf at the heart of this lawsuit is raising her pups near an area in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in the Cascade Range, which is where there is a large logging project going on. People who are in the timber industry say that logging in the area won’t harm the wolf population. Instead, they say that by logging, the risk of wildfires will be reduced. They also say that the food available for elk and deer will more plentiful after the logging, which will benefit the wolves.
Opponents of the logging project are concerned that the logging will harm the wolf habitat, as well as the wilderness and the spotted owls. Oregon Wild has asked the judge presiding over the environmental litigation case to closely look at how the logging is affecting the area.
It is important for humans to watch out for the rights of wild animals. This case sheds light on the fact that the wolf population might be negatively affected by the logging industry. It is important that Oregon Wild understand how to protect the rights of the wolf family as they go through the court proceedings.
Source: StarTribune, “Lawsuit: Timber sale threatens den where Oregon’s wandering wolf has settled to raise pups” Jeff Barnard, Jun. 19, 2014
