In many ways Oregon’s ban on hunting cougars and bears with dogs is a classic example of the state’s urban/rural divide. Knowing that, it makes sense to tinker with the ban in a way that serves both, as House Bill 3395 would do.

Oregonians ended hunting the animals with dogs back in 1994, when they approved Ballot Measure 18. The margin was relatively narrow, less than 2 percentage points, and had urban Multnomah County and other urban areas not supported it so heavily, it would not have passed. An effort to repeal the ban two years later failed.

That did not end the argument, however. Cougar sightings are far more common today than they were 25 years ago, for one thing. Most recently, two nearly year-old cubs were shot and killed in the Prineville area late last month. They were badly underweight at the time of their deaths. Cougar sightings, while not everyday fare in Bend, are far from unheard of.

And, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates, the number of cougars that call Oregon home has risen dramatically, to about 6,000 now, from a low of 200 or so in the 1960s. HB 3395, which all five of Central Oregon’s state representatives have signed on to, would not simply undo the ban on dogs, however. Rather, it would allow ODFW to set up a pilot program aimed at ending human/cougar conflicts and obtaining a more accurate estimate of how many of the animals actually live here.

Counties could ask to be included in the project, but they would have to demonstrate a need before being allowed to do so. Need would be measured by “cougar conflicts in the categories of human safety, livestock losses, pet depredations or big game management objectives,” the measure says.

Seen from this side of the Cascades, a pilot program is a reasonable approach to what many think is a growing problem in these parts. It would not be imposed on any county, and none would be included unless they could demonstrate a problem exists. It’s a tailored approach to what is clearly a growing concern.