FWS: $1 million to states for wolf program
by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service press release
April 7, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced $1 million in grants that will be distributed to 10 states under a new demonstration program designed to help livestock producers undertake proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, or to compensate livestock producers for livestock losses caused by wolves.
These grants will be provided to Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and will support the states’ highest priority needs in assisting livestock producers.
"Wolf populations are expanding in several parts of the nation, and this grant program gives us another tool to help states minimize conflict where wolves and human activities overlap," said Rowan Gould, acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The true value of the program lies in its ability to both provide compensation to producers and support non-lethal activities to minimize their livestock-losses from wolves."
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) authorized the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project, and Congress appropriated $1 million to support this project as part of the FY 2010 Interior and Related Agencies appropriation.
The Wolf Compensation and Prevention Program, as described in P.L. 111-11, provides funding to states and tribes, with federal cost-share not to exceed 50 percent. Funds will be expended between proactive and compensatory activities. States and tribes will be able to use the funds to support qualifying non-lethal projects that reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, or to compensate livestock producers for livestock losses caused by wolves. Tribal funding for the program will be announced at a later date.
The funding allocation was determined by considering depredation of livestock by wolves, the number of wolves in each state, and need in each state. The FY 2010 allocation is shown below.
For additional information, interested parties should contact the state agency responsible for this program.
State Proposed Allocation
MN $100,000
MI $90,000
WI $140,000
ID $140,000
MT $140,000
WY $140,000
AZ $60,000
NM $60,000
OR $15,000
WA $15,000
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