The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $900,000 in grants under the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program. Grants will be distributed to the states of Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin, and to the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The grants assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, and compensate producers for livestock losses caused by wolves. The program provides funding to states and tribes, with federal cost-share not to exceed 50 percent.
The Mexican wolf recovery program and New Mexico and Arizona livestock operators will benefit from $284,000 of pre-matched grants in 2015. Of these funds, $214,000 will be granted to Arizona Game and Fish Department and New Mexico Department of Agriculture for disbursement to livestock operators either through the Arizona Livestock Loss Board (Arizona only) or the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council (formerly called the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Coexistence Council).
In Arizona, $40,000 is awarded for depredation (attacked or killed livestock) compensation and $80,000 for “payments-for-presence” and prevention measures. In New Mexico, $60,000 and $34,000 grants are awarded for depredation and preventative measures, respectively. Livestock operators are increasingly utilizing USDA Farm Services Administration funds to compensate for depredations.
The $70,000 grant to White Mountain Apache Tribe will be administered by the Tribe for proactive, preventive wolf/livestock programs. The Tribe will use USDA Farm Services Administration funds to compensate tribal livestock Associations for depredated (attacked or killed) cattle.
The national Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Proposals were evaluated considering the extent of depredation of livestock by wolves, program evaluation and record keeping, and commitment to reporting and coordination. Proposals were also evaluated based on the level of non-lethal, proactive techniques to reduce wolf-livestock interactions and the outreach and coordination levels. Funds will be expended equally between proactive and compensatory activities.
The Endangered Species Conservation-Wolf Livestock Loss Compensation and Prevention Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number is 15.666. Information collection associated with this program is accordance with OMB Information Collection Number: 1018-0154.
Further information regarding the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program can be found here: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/.
More information on the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council and Coexistence Plan is at:
http://www.coexistencecouncil.org/home.html
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov, or connect with us through any of these social media channels:
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Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council Background
The Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council, an 11-member volunteer group of livestock producers, tribes, environmental groups, and county coalitions, has developed an innovative Strategic Coexistence Plan, to reduce wolf/livestock conflicts and the need for management removals of depredating or nuisance wolves. The goals of the Coexistence Plan are to sustain viable ranching, protect healthy western landscapes, and advance a wild, self-sustaining Mexican gray wolf population.
Funds are available to support the voluntary implementation of wolf/livestock proactive conflict avoidance measures by livestock producers. Adaptive management techniques are available to reduce wolf/livestock conflicts, at the discretion of the livestock producer. The Council administers funds for depredation compensation and “payments for presence”.
The intent of the Coexistence Plan is to recognize that there are real economic consequences to livestock producers coexisting with wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. In addition to losses from livestock depredations, livestock producers incur costs from undetected depredations and changes in livestock behavior in response to wolf presence, which result in a reduction of livestock weight gain, reproductive rates, and meat quality, as well as increased costs tied to managing wolf/livestock interactions. The Coexistence Plan creates incentives for ranching in ways that promote self-sustaining Mexican wolf populations, viable ranching operations, and healthy western landscapes.
