Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly Asked Questions About Defenders' Grizzly Compensation Fund

Why does Defenders maintain a compensation fund?
Our goal is to shift the economic responsibility for grizzly bear recovery away from individual ranchers and toward the millions of people in the United States who want to see this important species restored. When livestock producers are forced to bear the cost of bear recovery, it creates ill will toward grizzlies that can result in illegal killing. Since grizzly bears reproduce slowly, a single mortality can negatively impact the population.

Do grizzly bears kill livestock often?
No. In an average year, grizzlies kill about 16 cattle and 19 sheep in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. For the last five years, average losses have been less than $15,000 per year, a tiny fraction of industry-wide losses. These statistics, however, offer little consolation to individual producers who experience damage.

How does the program work?
If a landowner suspects a grizzly has killed livestock, he or she should cover the remains with a tarp to protect the evidence and call state or federal officials. Defenders relies on state wildlife officials, tribal biologists, animal damage control experts or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to examine suspected losses and confirm or deny the claims. If agency officials verify that a grizzly bear killed the livestock, they fill out a report and send it to Defenders.

Defenders then contacts the producer, ascertains the market value of the livestock and sends the landowner a check. Defenders strives to get payment to the livestock producer within two weeks of receiving the incident report.

How is the livestock value determined?
Defenders asks the rancher for his or her assessment of the livestock's value and compares it with current auction reports and livestock prices as reported in local newspapers. Defenders relies on the local county extension agent to arbitrate if there are disagreements on livestock value. Such disagreements, however, rarely occur. Our maximum payment per animal is $3,000. Defenders does not compensate for livestock protected through insurance or a governmental compensation program. Defenders pays the projected fall value for calves or lambs killed in the spring or summer.

What type of livestock is covered?
We compensate for sheep, cattle, horses, mules, goats, llamas, donkeys, pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys, herding dogs and livestock guarding dogs.

Will ranchers be compensated for time and energy expended dealing with livestock losses to wolves?
No. It is impossible to develop a program that completely insulates ranchers from all wolf-caused impacts. The intent of our program is to address the primary concern articulated most frequently by ranchers -- actual livestock losses.

How long will the compensation fund be in effect? How can we be certain it will not run out?
Defenders' Board of Directors has created a dedicated fund of $100,000 to give the program long-term stability. The fund will be in effect as long as the grizzly bear is protected on the Endangered Species list. If the grizzly is removed, Defenders will assess the value of maintaining the fund at that time.

What Others Say About Defenders' Grizzly Compensation Fund

"Predators are a fact of life where we live and the Defenders' approach is a good one that we commend you for....we appreciate the service you provide and have no intention of ever abusing it."

--Dan Pierce, Skunk Creek Cattle Co.

"This is a conservation group that puts its money where its mouth is."

--editorial, Kalispell Daily Interlake

"Defenders' compensation fund is fundamental to grizzly bear recovery because it eases the economic concerns of livestock owners."

--Chris Servheen, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service