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Farmland Conservation: Non-Lethal Predator Management
Predator Friendly Ranching
Ranching commands a staggering acreage of both private and public lands
throughout the arid West, despite its relatively small output to the overall
conventional livestock industry. For example, grazing takes place on 300 million
acres of public lands in the western states alone, even though less than 5
percent of all beef is produced on those lands. Still, ranching remains an
essential component of land use in the West and ranchers wield significant
political clout even in the face of a number of conditions that necessitate
urgent change in order to maintain biodiversity on these lands.
Grazing over long periods of time in areas of inadequate rainfall results in severe impacts on the land. Soils become compacted. Scarce seed banks are consumed rather than regenerated. The ability of ground water reservoirs to replenish themselves becomes interrupted. In addition, large predators-from coyotes, to bears, mountain lions, and more recently, reintroduced wolves-are persecuted in the name of protecting an increasingly fragile ranching economy. This includes over 200 coyotes hunted and poisoned daily across the country at a taxpayer cost of over $10 million per year.
Change is underway, however. Drought cycles, poor economics, and ageing ranching populations are forcing many people out of business. Awareness is growing about the importance of protecting large unbroken acreage from subdivision and other uses. Concerns about health dangers from the conventional animal factory system is driving consumers toward grass-fed, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free, organic meat and dairy products. Interest is rising in developing economic incentive packages to protect or retire certain lands that are inadequate for grazing. Hard work is being done to actually create a "wildlife economy" in many areas of the arid West that may one day include free-ranging bison herds as well as a matrix of protected critical habitats within working landscapes.
Lava Lake Land and Livestock: Ranching with Lions, Wolves, and Bears
Lava Lake Land and Livestock is a recent emerging example of a large private
ranching initiative that attempts to balance agricultural production with high
standards for biodiversity protection. Located in south-central Idaho, the ranch
is bordered on two sides by the Craters of the Moon National Monument, and on a
third by one of the lower 48 states' largest roadless areas. Begun in 1999 with
the purchase of a 24,000-acre historic sheep and cattle operation, the ranch is
now comprised of noncontiguous blocks of nearly 750,000 acres. Federal grazing
allotments that span several habitat types comprise the vast majority of this
acreage, from the Snake River Plains through the foothills to mountaintops,
including the uplands of several major river drainages.
Understanding the enormous biological values of this sagebrush steppe landscape began with a comprehensive vegetation and species study conducted by veteran range ecologist Alan Sands. From those baseline studies, a series of plans were initiated to protect critical habitats, restore impaired riparian areas, and establish long-term monitoring projects. The region itself serves as a vital linkage for numerous wide-ranging species, including elk, deer, wolverines, coyotes, mountain lions, black bears, wolverines, lynx, and, occasionally, reintroduced gray wolves. Efforts to protect rare plant communities, songbirds, reptiles, amphibians, and the sage grouse have also been undertaken.
Part of the balancing act of managing the land both for economic viability and conservation values means maintaining approximately 8,000 sheep on various pastures. Mike Stevens is a former Nature Conservancy field biologist who now heads up Lava Lake Land and Livestock. He works with a team of shepherds who carefully monitor flocks as well as wildlife movements and other variables. Stocking levels are kept flexible to maximize mobility and adjust to conditions on the land, including drought, fire, and the presence of predators. Lava Lake Land and Livestock has also adopted a non-lethal approach to controlling predators, which occasionally cause problems with the flocks. Traditional techniques are being used, such as the introduction Great Pyrenees guard dogs, or the experimentation with "fladry"-the hanging of fabric strips in long lines to deter coyotes. The movement of the flags scares them for a time until they eventually habituate to it. Stevens and his team of Peruvian shepherds have also worked closely with various agencies in response to the occasional appearance of reintroduced gray wolves. The shepherds are armed with guns loaded with rubber bullets and noise-making shotgun shells in the event that predators do appear. Flyovers have been increased to track wildlife movements. Perhaps most importantly, livestock are kept away from any known or suspected denning areas.
Among the many impressive achievements that Lava Lake Land & Livestock has made in its short existence has been its choice of active board members. The board combines a depth of experience in conservation biology with advisors such as Reed Noss and Bob Unnasch; with on-the-ground knowledge from conservation-minded ranchers such as Greg Simmons, a veteran ranching consultant with a strong record of keeping ranching operations in the black with increased biodiversity values; Ben Brown of the Gray Ranch in New Mexico, and Becky Weed, a rancher and co-founder of the Predator Conservation Alliance.
More information:
Defenders of Wildlife Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund was created by Defenders of Wildlife to prevent conflict between imperiled carnivores and humans by supporting the use of preventative measures, including nonlethal deterrents and best management practices.
Predator Conservation Alliance is dedicated to
conserving, protecting, and restoring native predators and their habitats in the
Northern Rockies and Northern Plains.
Thirteen Mile Farm is located in Belgrade, Montana. The owners’ goals are the sustainable care of a local landscape and the production of good food and fiber.
In this section. . .
Inspiring stories and replicable models of conservation-based agriculture.
The Malpai Borderlands Group consists of approximately two dozen landowners whose ranches span nearly a million acres in New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico.
Threemile Canyon Farms in Oregon's Columbia Basin features undisturbed shrub-steppe habitat critical to a number of imperiled species, including ferruginous hawks, loggerhead shrikes, sage sparrow and Washington ground squirrel.
Partnering with land owners, local agencies, and other groups, Yolo County, California has an ambitious plan to create habitat linkages on public and private lands throughout this largely rural area on the boundaries of urban expansion.
Enchanted Acres, in southeastern Minnesota rotates pastures in order to maintain critical breeding habitat for many at-risk songbird species, such as meadowlarks, bobolinks, dickcissels, and savanna and vesper sparrows.
The Methow Valley Conservancy of northeastern Washington has negotiated more than 30 easements protecting over 3,000 acres of land.
Lava Lake Land and Livestock ranch in south-central Idaho has also adopted a non-lethal approach to controlling predators, which occasionally cause problems with the flocks.
