Ranchers eligible for assistance with wolf-related livestock losses

Ranchers who have suffered livestock losses resulting from wolf depredation are eligible for federal assistance through an emergency assistance program administered by the New Mexico Farm Service Agency. Salomon Ramirez, the agency's executive director, announced availability through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) as authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. Wolf depredation has been determined to be an eligible loss condition under ELAP for livestock death losses occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011. Under the provisions, FSA may spend up to $50 million per year nationwide to provide emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires and, now, wolf depredation, losses that are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs. To date, wolf depredation is the only loss condition approved on a national level as an eligible loss condition for livestock death losses under ELAP provisions. "In 2008 and 2009, livestock producers in several counties in the New Mexico wolf range, had U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service verified incidents of depredation by Mexican gray wolves," Ramirez said. "This is important to note because ELAP benefits are available to only those producers who can provide verifiable evidence of livestock losses."...read more