Supervisors Declare Gray Wolf Emergency and Celebrate Dean Fischer

DOWNIEVILLE — At a meeting of the Sierra County Board of Supervisors held on April 1st, the Board declared a local state of emergency due to the presence and impact of gray wolves in the county. Supervisors also acknowledged Dean Fischer for his years of service to the Road Department, from which he is now retired.

Gray Wolf Emergency

Ranchers in the Sierra Valley have grown increasingly concerned over several years due to the slow but steady increase in the area’s population of Gray Wolves. The wolves have been spotted at continuously higher rates, and besides being a threat to the well-being of livestock (wolf killings of livestock have been confirmed in both Plumas and Sierra Counties), residents and supervisors are worried that they are becoming a serious threat to public safety.

Plumas County Rancher Chad Smith kicked off the discussion by explaining that three wolves had been in an enclosure with his horses just 20 yards from his home. “It’s too close for comfort,” says Smith. He also says his employee texted him during the Board meeting that a wolf was again spotted near horses.

Rick Roberti, a Plumas County rancher and president of the California Cattlemen’s Association, says California is exacerbating the problem by classifying gray wolves as endangered and giving little options for controlling their behavior. In 2011, a gray wolf designated OR-7 was confirmed to have re-entered the state, marking California’s first confirmed gray wolf since 1924. Though the species is considered secure in Canada, it was protected under California’s Endangered Species Act in 2014, a move which Roberti considers a mistake considering the wolf is no longer native to the state: “At the time it made it onto the list, it wasn’t even in California.”

Sierra County’s recent history with human-predator interactions raised particular concern, especially after the state’s first confirmed human fatality by black bear mauling occurred in the county less than two years ago. Mountain lion sightings and encounters, including the killing of pets, have also become more common. The deer population on which predators may feed has been dwindling, according to ranchers and available California Fish and Wildlife hunt reporting data, which Roberti and others believe explains the increased number of sightings within communities.

Sheriff Mike Fisher concluded the discussion with a call for state agencies to provide more mechanisms for controlling the behavior of the gray wolf. “I believe that there’s a legal imbalance. The wolf is afforded more rights than human beings. If I drive by Bar One Cattle Company and see somebody out in a field mutilating a calf or a cow or a horse, I can immediately take action... If I drive by and see a wolf doing that, I’m very limited on what I can do,” explained Fisher. “We have to put a mechanism in place that allows local law enforcement to be able to investigate, identify, and, if necessary, remove or euthanize a problem wolf.”

The Board hopes the now-declared local emergency will urge state and federal agencies to “initiate immediate regulatory changes to grant sheriffs the authority to investigate wolf incidents and declare a specific gray wolf a public safety threat.” The Sheriff and emergency declaration clarify that the county is not calling for widespread lethal control but instead for “the establishment of reasonable, focused tools that allow rural communities to respond to legitimate threats in a responsible and lawful manner.”

Dean Fischer Acknowledged

Equipment Shop Supervisor Dean Fischer retired from the county effective March 31st after 20 years of employment with the Road Department. He was hired in 2005 as Extra Help before being promoted to Equipment Mechanic I through III, then Lead Equipment Mechanic before becoming Equipment Shop Supervisor. Fischer repaired, overhauled, and maintained automotive, road construction equipment, and heavy equipment. He also plowed snow, a task which he was at last spared from on Tuesday despite many of his former crew members being called to do just that during Tuesday’s meeting.

After Board Chair Adams presented Fischer with a Resolution of Appreciation detailing his long record of service to the county, Public Works Director Bryan Davey gave him an emotional send-off. “I’m honored to be able to have them work for me. It’s an amazing thing, and I’m sorry I’m a little choked up, but it’s a big deal to get out, and I wish you well and your family, and thank you for your service.” Fischer responded with thanks and praise for his crew: “The road crew, they’re an amazing bunch of people. They’re always out, you know, protecting you on your roads, and I’m being retired by a fantastic mechanic now. He’s doing a fantastic job at the shop.”

Fischer was also recognized by Supervisor LeBlanc, who says that Fischer and the Road Department rescued him many times during his career driving a garbage truck. He also volunteers with the Fire Department in his spare time, helping keep fire vehicles operational.