Some Irony in Republican Support for HB 4134

Last week, I wrote about a contradiction in HB 4134, that it both funds wildlife restoration and invasive species mitigation. That can be a contradiction, because sometimes wildlife restoration involves introducing invasive species, such as wolves.

So, I felt a sense of irony when I read this piece by OPB. Dedicated funding to mitigate the negative externalities of wolf reintroduction was a driver of some Republican support for that bill.

The bill passed through the Legislature with bipartisan support, receiving Republican backing in large part because it would funnel millions of dollars toward helping ranchers whose cattle are killed by wolves.

Sen. Todd Nash, R-Enterprise, who supports the legislation, said he has been trying to address this issue and find permanent funding for it for years.

“This is not sustainable,” Nash said. “It’s not sustainable for the ranching industry. It’s not sustainable for the mental health of my ranchers who suffer, stay up nights. It is impacting their family and their bottom line.”

Sometimes the politics of wildlife management can be a self-licking ice cream cone.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.