Wolf compensation program growing

Livestock producers may now submit applications under the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Plan to the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council to receive payments for wolf presence. The deadline for application submissions is June 1, 2016. The plan was developed two years ago by the Council to address wolf-livestock conflicts, which is one of the most significant impediments to Mexican wolf recovery, wolf reintroduction advocates contend. The plan is comprised of three core strategies: payments for wolf presence, funding for conflict avoidance measures, and funding for depredation compensation. “The Mexican Wolf/ Livestock Council’s payments for wolf presence program recognizes the indirect costs to livestock producers from Mexican wolves, including stress-related weight loss in livestock and other management costs,” Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Southwest Regional Director, said. “While we recognize that the program is not fully funded yet, we and the Council are continuing to seek funding to fully implement this valuable program.” Payments to livestock producers for wolf presence are based on a formula that considers a variety of factors, including whether the applicant’s land or grazing lease overlaps a wolf territory or core area and the number of wolf pups from that pack surviving to December 31, recognizing that survival of wolf pups is not dependent upon the livestock producer. The formula also considers the number of livestock exposed to wolves and the applicant’s participation in proactive conflict avoidance measures. Seed funding for the Coexistence Plan comes from the Federal Livestock Demonstration Program, which in 2015 provided $40,000 for depredation compensation and $60,000 for preventative measures to Arizona Game and Fish Department, and $60,000 for depredation compensation and $34,000 for preventative measures to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. The grant funds are matched by in-kind contributions through the Mexican Wolf Fund and Defenders of Wildlife providing financial assistance to livestock producers to implement proactive measures to reduce conflicts between Mexican wolves and livestock...more