Barrasso bill would send money to state livestock compensation programs
JARED MILLER Star-Tribune capital bureau | Posted: Friday, April 18, 2008 12:00 am
CHEYENNE - U.S. Sen. John Barrasso introduced legislation Thursday that would provide federal funding to compensate ranchers for livestock depredation by wolves and grizzly bears in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
The Gray Wolf Livestock Mitigation Act would authorize federal matching grants for state-run compensation programs, as well as programs that prevent livestock depredation by covering the cost of fencing, guard dogs or other methods of protection.
"We're hoping this will punch through fairly quickly," said spokesman Greg Keeley, noting that Barrasso, a Republican, teamed up with Democratic co-sponsor Jon Tester of Montana to help fast-track the legislation.
If the bill becomes law, the federal grant dollars would flow from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to state wildlife management agencies, which would determine how to spend the money.
Wyoming already has a program to compensate ranchers for livestock losses to wolves in the northwest corner of the state, where wolves are managed as trophy game by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Keeley said the federal funds could be used to backstop that program or to create new programs outside the trophy game zone, although those decisions would be up to state officials.
Game and Fish spokesman Eric Keszler said the agency is interested in federal funding for wolf management and supports the concept of the bill. He said the federal dollars would probably be used to support the existing state program, but as far as he knew the agency hasn't ruled out an expansion outside the trophy game zone.
"That's something we haven't considered in light of this new development," Keszler said.
The state Legislature appropriated $2.4 million to manage wolves during the 2009-10 budget period. That includes $540,000 to compensate ranchers for wolf depredation.
Keszler said it's too early to tell if that will be enough to cover the costs. "This is all brand new for Wyoming, and we will just have to see," he added.
The Barrasso-Tester bill comes less than a month after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list and turned management of the predators over to the states.
Roughly 1,500 wolves roam Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, including around 350 in Wyoming, Keszler said.
Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the deaths of 71 cattle and 20 sheep in Wyoming by wolves, but Keszler said many more kills probably went unconfirmed.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, estimates that wolves killed 700 cattle and 500 sheep in Wyoming last year, according to figures provided by Barrasso's office.
The Washington, D.C.-based conservation group Defenders of Wildlife last month announced it would continue its program to compensate ranchers for wolf depredation outside the trophy game zone. That program requires ranchers to take steps to prevent wolf kills on their livestock, and also to prove that wolves are responsible for the losses.
The group's Rocky Mountain Region director, Mike Leahy, said it would be great if the federal government chips in with money to compensate livestock owners who lose livestock to wolves.
He also said the organization would encourage the state to consider extending compensation to livestock owners outside the trophy game zone.
"The problem is there might not be any wolves there pretty soon," Leahy added, referring to the 13 wolves that have been killed outside the trophy game zone since wolves were removed from the endangered species list.
But he said wolves will continue to matriculate to areas outside the trophy game zone and depredation will continue.
Reach capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at {M3jared.miller@trib.com.