The Lassen County Cattlemen’s Association wrote a letter to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors the board to join Modoc and Sierra counties in declaring a wolf emergency.
Here’s the letter
On behalf of the Lassen County Cattlemen’s Association, I urge you to consider the adoption of a resolution similar to Modoc County Resolution 2025-13 and Sierra County Resolution 2025-030, which were recently approved by the Modoc and Sierra County board of supervisors.
These resolutions declared a local emergency in Modoc and Sierra counties due to the presence of gray wolves and the increasing threat to public safety as a result of livestock depredations occurring in close proximity to rural residents.
Similarly, Lassen County livestock producers are facing persistent and regular depredation of livestock from the gray wolf, with these killings routinely occurring in close proximity to residents, resulting in a comparable threat to public safety.
Lassen County livestock producers have had multiple close encounters with gray wolves, which have shown little to no fear of human presence.
Despite the implementation of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s current approved hazing and mitigation techniques, the wolves remain completely unfazed and undeterred, proving that these measures are ineffective and insufficient.
As these wolves become increasingly habituated to human presence and our futile hazing rituals, the risk of dangerous wolf-human interactions grows. Effective mitigation measures are needed and we believe Lassen County should advocate for practical alternatives including euthanasia and relocation.
The increase in the gray wolf population not only poses a threat to public safety, but it threatens the entire livestock industry in Lassen County.
In 2024 alone, there were 11 confirmed incidents of livestock depredation by wolves in Lassen County. However, due to the inefficiencies in CDFW’s investigative process, it is likely that this statistic drastically underrepresents the true extent of the damage.
A recent study by Dr. Tena Saitone and Dr. Ken Tate of the University of California Cooperative Extension, found that 86 percent of wolf scat samples collected in the summer of 2022 in Northeastern California contained cattle DNA, further suggesting that the reported cases likely represent just a fraction of the true number of livestock that have been maliciously killed by gray wolves in Lassen County.
Beyond the direct loss, the mere presence of these wolves has been shown to increase stress levels in livestock which can lead to weakened immune system responses, compromised metabolic functions and decreased reproductive successes. The indirect costs of wolf presence on livestock health and productivity are substantially more detrimental than direct depredation. Given that a significant portion of Lassen County’s tax base is generated by the agricultural industry, the rise in wolf-livestock interactions could have significant economic consequences for Lassen County.
As state regulations and CDFW policies continue to restrict Lassen County producers’ ability to protect their livestock, it is your responsibility to ensure that your constituents, the residents of Lassen County, have the ability to safeguard their own safety and property. With wolves becoming more comfortable around humans, the potential for dangerous encounters increases, yet no effective means for the public to protect themselves exists.
We respectfully request that you adopt a resolution to address this rapidly evolving issue and urge CDFW to reconsider their policies, specifically regarding approved mitigation techniques. Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.
Sincerely
Christian Siemer
President
Lassen County Cattlemen’s Association
Copies of the LCCA letter were also sent to Congressman Doug LaMalfa – California District 1, Senator Megan Dahle – California District 1, Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick – California Assembly District 1, John McGarva – Lassen County Sheriff-Corner, Rick Roberti – California Cattlemen’s Association, President, George Affonso – USDA Wildlife Trapper, Paul Smith – Chairman, Lassen County Fish and Game Commission and David Lile – University of California Cooperative Extension, Lassen County Director and Farm Advisor.
The post Lassen County Cattlemen’s Urge Board of Supervisors to take action appeared first on SierraDailyNews.com.
