State and Federal Officials Tour Sierra Valley on Wolf Management

SIERRAVILLE — State and federal agency leaders joined ranchers, researchers, and law enforcement officials in the Sierra Valley last week for the Wolf, Wildlife, and Landscape Management Tour. The two-day gathering addressed gray wolf activity along with related concerns over deer populations, wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, and the future of working landscapes. Sierra County provided the venue and arranged site visits to areas affected by prior wolf activity.

The tour followed a difficult stretch for local livestock producers. In 2025, the Beyem Seyo gray wolf pack was linked to dozens of cattle losses across the valley. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) records show the pack accounted for 70 confirmed or probable livestock deaths between late March and early September of that year. Four Beyem Seyo wolves were killed by CDFW that October in response, effectively removing the pack.

Sierra County Supervisor Paul Roen reported on the event during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. He said state wildlife officials asked the county to host the gathering, which was attended by Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and representatives from roughly 15 government agencies. Representatives from Senator Megan Dahle and Assemblymember Heather Hadwick also participated. Roen described extensive conversations over two days focused on the struggles ranchers and communities have faced and on ways to offer support.

Tracy Schohr of the University of California Cooperative Extension facilitated the sessions, Roen said. County staff arranged space at the Sierraville schoolhouse and led tours that showed participants what had occurred the previous summer. Roen noted the event followed the organizers’ invite list and plans. He said the overall response appeared positive and that productive steps for the county and the broader North State region may result. Roen added that he would attend a Sierra Nevada Conservancy meeting on Wednesday to continue related talks.

Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick later released a statement, listing the main topics as wolf depredation, deer population declines, wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, and the outlook for rural working landscapes. “The key takeaway was that successful wildlife management must balance conservation goals with the needs of ranching families and local communities!” Hadwick wrote. She thanked the visiting leaders for traveling to Assembly District 1 to observe conditions on the ground.

Senator Megan Dahle also issued her own remarks. Ranchers, including Paul Roen and Rick Roberti, president of the California Cattlemen’s Association, described the severe difficulties livestock owners faced last summer. “Gray wolves killed nearly 100 domestic animals” in the Sierra Valley during that time, Dahle wrote. “That’s more livestock losses in one valley in California than the entire states of Montana and Wyoming faced last year.” Dahle welcomed the officials’ commitment to developing new tools that could help prevent similar livestock conflicts in the future.

Supervisor Roen expressed hope that the conversations will produce tangible benefits for Sierra County and the surrounding areas. Further updates are expected as participating agencies and local partners follow up on the issues raised during the tour.