Restoring wolves to their native habitat in the
West hasn’t
been easy. Some were opposed to the idea from the start, including
ranchers who
already viewed wild predators as a threat to their livelihoods. That’s
why
compensating ranchers for losses to wolves was an integral part of
promoting
tolerance, even before wolves were reintroduced.
Wolves have always gotten more than their fair
share of
attention for preying on livestock. When bad weather devastates a flock
of
sheep, or dogs kill a calf, it rarely makes the press. But when a wolf
kills a
sheep or two, it often makes front-page headlines. However, based on
National
Agriculture Statistics Service and wolf management reports, wolf
depredations
account for less than one percent of livestock losses in the Northern
Rockies,
including unconfirmed losses. Far more livestock are killed by disease, bad weather, birthing
problems and
other predators – even stray dogs – than by wolves.
Yet there’s no denying wolves do sometimes kill
livestock,
and when they do, there are financial and emotional costs to the
livestock
producers. That is why the compensation program run by Defenders of
Wildlife was important, a recognition by those who wanted wolves back on the
landscape
that livestock producers should not have to bear the costs alone. Since
1987,
ranchers have been paid more than $1.4 million by Defenders of Wildlife
for
verified losses of cattle, sheep, guard dogs and other domesticated
animals. These
payments represented a tangible investment in the wolves’ future from
Defenders
of Wildlife to protect both livestock and wolves.
After 23 years of Defenders of Wildlife managing a
wolf
compensation fund, the states are now developing compensation programs
of their
own. Last year, Congress enacted legislation introduced by Senators Jon
Tester
of Montana and John Barrasso of Wyoming to provide $1 million to help states initiate their own compensation
programs
for livestock lost to wolves. Awarded funds are to be used both to
compensate
ranchers for verified livestock losses to wolves and to implement
nonlethal
tools for preventing conflicts. At the same time, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife
Service and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have recently
established the
Mexican Wolf Interdiction Fund that will compensate ranchers in New Mexico and Arizona for livestock
lost to
wolves and help fund wolf deterrence projects.
These new programs are major milestones on the road
to wolf
recovery. Many states have already received their funding for this
fiscal year
and have or will soon set up programs to administer the money. But while
states
take on the important task of compensating ranchers, there are other
costs
associated with wolves on the landscape. Helping ranchers prevent
conflicts
before they happen is the next important step, and this is where
Defenders is
now focusing its resources. This is the best way to ensure a future where wolves, livestock and
people
can all coexist.
Today, projects on the ground are showing that it
is
possible to significantly reduce livestock losses to wolves, using both
time-honored and innovative techniques. From Montana to Arizona,
wildlife
experts, ranchers, and conservationists are working together to protect
livestock and save wolves. And fewer conflicts mean fewer wolves killed
in the
wild. (Check out this video of some of the techniques ranchers are using
to
coexist with wolves.)
In eastern Oregon, for example, a range rider keeps
a close
eye on cattle as they graze open pastures on national forest lands to make sure
wolves
don’t come too close. In central Idaho, a pack of Great Pyrenees guard
dogs
alert sheep herders to the presence of predators, and a team of field
technicians keep watch over the flocks at night. And in Arizona, ranchers are using electrified fencing and
fladry—brightly
colored flags strung across a rope—to deter wolves from eating cattle.
These solutions require time, money and
collaboration, but
they are preferable to losing livestock to wolves. Many
ranchers have been willing to implement preventive
measures as a way to protect their investments rather than taking their
chances
with wild predators. As more ranchers adopt these measures, conflicts
should
become even more manageable. (Check out this guide for livestock
producers on
how to implement preventive measures.)
Not everyone is going to love wolves, but with a
little
extra effort, coexistence is possible. There are workable solutions for
ranchers who are willing to give them a try and for conservationists who
recognize that the West needs ranchers and wolves to be complete.
Mike Leahy is director of conservation programs in the Rocky Mountain region for Defenders of Wildlife in Bozeman, Montana.
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