The Fish and Wildlife Commission met today in Salem and completed the following business: •Suspended the sea urchin permit lottery for two years due to stock and fishery conditions. •Amended the Wildlife Integrity Rules to put several species on the Noncontrolled or Prohibited list based on the level of risk they present to native wildlife (through disease, habitat competition, or hybridizing). •Appointed two new representatives to the statewide Access and Habitat Board: Alan Christensen of Portland as a Hunter Representative and Craig Ely of La Grande as a Landowner Representative. •Approved Access and Habitat funding for the New River Aleutian Goose Project along the southern coast, which will provide fertilizer to private landowners experiencing goose damage in return for continued hunting access. •Amended falconry rules that govern the take of peregrine falcons for use in falconry, and added a new species to the list of species allowed for use by falconers. Finally, the Commission was briefed on the 2013 Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Annual Report. As of the end of last year, there are 64 known wolves and eight wolf packs in Oregon, including four breeding pairs and 17 pups. The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. Its next meeting is April 25 in North Bend.
