Defenders' Experts
Guidelines for Compensation of Grizzly Bear-related Livestock Losses
Eligibility
It is our intent to offer this
compensation to help reduce grizzly bear-related economic losses for individual
ranchers and farmers while promoting grizzly bear conservation.
To best serve these goals, Defenders has established eligibility and documentation guidelines for compensation of grizzly bear-related livestock losses.
Livestock owners who demonstrate best management practices, including reasonable use of nonlethal methods, will remain eligible for compensation. When possible, we will assist with appropriate nonlethal deterrents to help livestock owners reduce future conflicts with grizzlies.
To be eligible for compensation from Defenders of Wildlife, the following requirements must be met:
The livestock in question were legally present on the land where the depredation occurred.
Defenders of Wildlife must receive claims within six months of the depredation event.
There is no evidence of long-term or habitual presence of dead or dying livestock in the immediate area, which attracted the grizzly bears and possibly caused the depredation.
The loss is determined by Wildlife Services, or their authorized agency equivalent, as a *confirmed or **probable loss.
The livestock covered under these guidelines include sheep, cattle, horses, mules, goats, llamas, donkeys, pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys, herding dogs and livestock guarding dogs.
The livestock loss is not being compensated by a private insurance policy or compensation process other than that offered by Defenders of Wildlife.
Provided the above requirements have been met, livestock owners will be compensated the first time they lose livestock to grizzly bears. In the case of subsequent losses, landowners, permittees or their representatives must have followed the recommendations of federal, state or tribal bear management specialists or Wildlife Services for preventing losses. Alternatively, landowners, permittees or their representatives need to demonstrate that they have actively and properly implemented appropriate preventative methods to avoid livestock losses to grizzly bears. These methods include, but are not limited to: electric or predator-resistant fencing, livestock guard dogs (use of several per band), increased human presence, herders or range riders, predator deterrent lighting, and electronic alarm systems. Defenders of Wildlife, in consultation with livestock owners and agency field representatives, will evaluate effectiveness and appropriate execution of these methods.
The livestock owner seeking compensation must not be a publicly-owned entity, since the goal of this fund is to shift economic responsibility for grizzly bear recovery away from individual farmers and ranchers.
Defenders of Wildlife reserves the right to deny compensation or assistance to anyone who intentionally submits fraudulent claims, purposefully attempts to entice grizzly bears to kill livestock, illegally wounds or kills grizzly bears, refuses to utilize reasonable nonlethal deterrents or acts in an abusive or threatening manner toward any Defenders' employee.
Process
The compensation fund will pay 100
percent of the current market value of adult livestock or the projected market
value of livestock below marketable age for *confirmed losses, up to $3,000 per
animal. The compensation fund will pay 50 percent of the value for **probable
losses. Appropriate documentation, such as a contract, previous sales record or
current market report, is required. Most claims are processed in less than six
weeks.
To process a compensation claim for grizzly bear depredations on livestock, the following information must be submitted: a completed copy of the investigation report form for *confirmed and/or **probable losses due to grizzly bear predation. These reports should provide a reasonable record of evidence based on standard criteria. The report should contain a complete record of this evidence or it will be referred back to the livestock owner with instructions to contact their field investigator for more information.
Reports should be sent to:
Jonathan Proctor
Rocky Mountain Region Representative
Defenders of
Wildlife
140 South 4th St. West, Suite 1
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: (406) 549-4103
Fax: (406) 542-5632
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