Guidelines for Northern Rockies Compensation

Eligibility Guidelines

It is our intent to offer this compensation to help reduce wolf-related economic losses for individual ranchers and farmers while promoting wolf conservation. To best serve these goals, Defenders is refining the eligibility and documentation guidelines for compensation of wolf-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 wolves. Learn more about our nonlethal deterrents program or contact us for more information.

Important Update for Montana: Beginning April 15, 2008 all compensation claims in Montana should be sent to the Montana Livestock Loss Reduction and Mitigation Board. This state sponsored program will take the place of Defenders' wolf compensation program in Montana.

To be eligible for compensation from Defenders of Wildlife, the following requirements must be met:

  1. The livestock in question were legally present on the land where the depredation occurred.

  2. Defenders of Wildlife must receive claims within six months of the depredation event.

  3. There is no evidence of long-term or habitual presence of dead or dying livestock in the immediate area, which attracted the wolves and possibly caused the depredation.

  4. The loss is determined by Wildlife Services, or the authorized agency equivalent, as a confirmed or probable loss. See the Depredation Classification Guidelines.

  5. The livestock covered under these guidelines include sheep, cattle, horses, mules, goats, llamas, donkeys, pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys, herding dogs and livestock guarding dogs.

  6. The livestock loss is not being compensated by a private insurance policy or compensation process other than that offered by Defenders of Wildlife.

  7. a. In areas where wolves currently exist, Landowners, permittees or their representatives in the northern Rockies (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) have been broadly alerted to the presence of wolves in their region; therefore, their animal husbandry practices should reflect this knowledge. As in the past, to receive compensation, regional livestock owners must demonstrate reasonable use of nonlethal methods. These methods include, but are not limited to: increased human presence, herders or range riders, electric or predator-resistant fencing, livestock guard dogs (use of several per band), predator deterrent lighting, and electronic alarm systems. Defenders of Wildlife, in consultation with livestock owners and field agency representatives, will evaluate the effectiveness and appropriate execution of these methods.

    b. In those areas beyond the northern Rockies where wolves may disperse (e.g., Oregon, Utah, Colorado, etc.), provided requirements 1 – 6 have been met and producers are otherwise eligible per requirements 8 and 9, livestock owners will be compensated the first time they lose livestock to wolves. For subsequent losses, livestock owners or their agents in these areas must follow the same criteria described in section 7a for the northern Rockies region.

  8. The livestock owner seeking compensation must not be a publicly-owned entity, since the goal of this fund is to shift economic responsibility for wolf recovery away from individual farmers and ranchers.

  9. Defenders of Wildlife reserves the right to deny compensation or assistance to anyone who intentionally submits fraudulent claims, purposefully attempts to entice wolves to kill livestock, illegally wounds or kills wolves, 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% 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. It will pay 50% of the value for probable losses, up to $1,500 per animal. (See guidelines for classification of losses.)

Appropriate documentation, such as a contract, previous sale record or current market reports, is required. Most claims are processed in less than 6 weeks.

In order to process a compensation claim for wolf depredations on livestock, a completed copy of the standard investigation report form for confirmed and/or probable losses due to wolf predation must be submitted. This report should provide a reasonable record of evidence based on standard criteria (see guidelines for classification of losses). 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:

Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies Representative
Defenders of Wildlife
P.O. Box 773
Boise, ID 83701
Phone: (208) 424-9385
Fax: (208) 424-0169
E-mail address: suzanne.stone@defenders.org