Siskiyou Sheriff Sounds Alarm on Growing Gray Wolf Threat to Residents and Livestock
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and Board of Supervisors are urging California lawmakers and wildlife officials to enhance measures protecting residents and livestock from gray wolves. Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue expressed concerns in a letter on April 16, highlighting increased wolf sightings near homes, raising public safety concerns.
“The mere fact that residents witness wolves near their homes is alarming,” LaRue wrote, noting the growing anxiety among local communities.
The Board of Supervisors reinforced these concerns, citing at least 78 livestock deaths attributed to gray wolves since 2021. Their April 3 letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) stressed that the state’s increasing wolf population would likely result in heightened interactions between wolves, humans, and livestock.
Gray wolves remain protected under federal and state laws as an endangered species, restricting lethal control measures. California recently transitioned into ‘Phase 2’ of its 2016 gray wolf conservation plan, emphasizing stronger non-lethal deterrents and public feedback opportunities to mitigate conflicts.
These actions follow the controversial lethal removal of Oregon gray wolf OR158 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February after repeated livestock killings in Klamath and Lake counties.
CDFW maintains all state and federal endangered species protections will remain intact, focusing instead on expanding non-lethal strategies. Siskiyou County officials, however, stress the urgent need for effective measures to safeguard residents and their livelihoods amid the increasing presence of wolves in Northern California.
