Readers' views for Jan. 27, 2012

Most Californians welcome wolves

A headline on a front-page article in the Jan. 13 edition is not only inaccurate, it is irresponsible.

"Californians howl over wolf's arrival" suggests that the majority of Californians don't want wild wolves in the state. That is not the case. If you check with the California Department of Fish and Game or look at letters to the editor around the state, you will see that the rabid wolf haters you focus on in the article are a minority even among Californians involved in agriculture.

Except for hard-core ideologues, most Californians understand that a return of top predators to California would have multiple benefits along with a few drawbacks.

Active wolf packs make elk and deer herds healthy by culling old and sick animals and taking some fawns so that the remaining animals have a better chance of survival. Because they force elk herds to stay on the move, riparian vegetation will improve as has been demonstrated in Yellowstone National Park.

Deer herds, which have suffered as elk herds increased, might make a comeback with wolves on the scene. Hay farmers might not lose so much of their crop to elk and deer.

A given area of wildlands can only support so many predators. Wolf packs in Northern California would mean fewer mountain lions and coyotes. Coyotes are by far the leading cause of livestock losses to predators; domestic dogs are the No. 2 cause. Wolves run off or kill coyotes and are known to kill dogs, too. As a result, net losses to predators might not increase with wolves on the scene.

These statistics are available online. They are available to the reporter who wrote the article in the Jan. 13 edition and to the editor who wrote the headline. What is not clear is whether reporter and editor care about the facts or would prefer to take the easy road: Don't do research and sensationalize a story by reporting the radical minority views of rabid anti-wolf politicians.

Anti-nature politicians and ideology-driven Farm Bureau types notwithstanding, wolves will reinhabit Northern California on their own initiative and will survive in spite of persecution. ...

Sooner or later, wolves will once again live in Northern California wildlands.

Felice Pace

Klamath and Etna, Calif.

Wolves should be relocated

I have read several articles in your paper about the wolves. They remind me of a few years back, when everyone had to stay 800 feet away from the nest of a peregrine falcon on public or private property.

A pair of peregrine falcons made a nest on the Fremont Bridge in Portland and when a well-known politician of the time reminded the people of Portland of the 800-foot restriction, they laughed at him.

The people who want the wolves do not live where the wolves live. If they want four breeding pairs in the state I would suggest the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife trap and relocate the four pairs. Those pairs would go to Washington Park in Portland, Forest Park in Portland, Baker Park in Eugene and the Oregon State Capitol grounds in Salem.

Wayne Rietmann

Ione, Ore.

Ag education prepares students

Coming from a family that is heavily involved in agriculture and also having a father who is an agriculture educator, I consider myself very lucky to have experienced firsthand many of the opportunities agriculture presents to students.

I started getting a taste of the farm life when I was still wearing Oshkosh overalls. Having now outgrown them, I still find myself not straying from a lifestyle that has helped mold me into the individual I am today. From picking rocks, driving tractor, riding in the combine and driving, sorting and branding cattle I have put in 18-hour days, I have invested blood, sweat and tears, just to experience the joys and discomforts of an agricultural life.

But the values, morals, and skills I have gained over the last 18 years from "playing in the dirt" cannot be compared to what might have been learned from a book in a classroom. From delivering calves and piglets and vaccinating animals to managing livestock accounts I have acquired skills that will benefit me later in my career.

My four years in the blue corduroy jacket have played a major role in my passion for agriculture. FFA has not only strengthened my leadership skills but also my self-confidence and has prepared me so much for my future.

From competing in various career developments events -- everything from job interview, public speaking, sales, marketing, livestock judging and tractor driving only to name a few -- I know that FFA has successfully prepared me for my future career in animal science.

FFA not only prepares you for any of the over 300 careers in agriculture, but also prepares you to be successful in life after high school. Whether it's production agriculture or agriculture education, agriculture provides an opportunity for students to grow as individuals, develop skills to be successful in any career choice, but most importantly prepares them to be successful in "real life."

My experience and life with agriculture has not only made me the individual I am today, but has made me proud of the individual I am today.

Sammi Jo Cool

Washington State

FFA President 2011-12