Sheep Industry News March 2023

Wolves and Grazing Regulations Looming Issues for Producers

CAT URBIGKIT The Shepherd U .S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services Deputy Administrator Janet Bucknall addressed the Resource Management Council during the ASI Annual Convention, giving an update on the agency’s damage prevention program. Bucknall explained that Congress has allocated $4.5 million for Wildlife Services to implement its nonlethal work in about a dozen Western states. The agency uses this funding for a variety of nonle thal actions for predator deterrence, from installing electric fences to deter wolves and grizzly bears, to funding range riders to patrol and protect livestock. Bucknall said the program has also expanded to include beaver deterrence measures, such as the installation of devices to prevent beavers from flooding private property. She said the nonlethal initiative is simply part of the integrated predator management program implemented by the agency. Much of the discussion with the council focused on wolf man agement, with this predator species under federal protection in most of the states. Bucknall said that when wolf recovery programs were initiated, the federal government committed to helping livestock producers weather the effects of that action. “We’re sticking with that commitment,” she said, “standing be side you, to protect livestock and protect wolves.” Wildlife Services is currently revising its standards of evidence used in the process of wolf depredation investigations, a concern for producers whose compensation claims depend on the determi nations rising from those investigations. Bucknall said that Wildlife Services believes it needs to use a consistent process in its investigations and found that the program within the range of the Mexican Wolf – Arizona and New Mexico – needed some improvement. Emphasizing the importance of the standards of evidence, producers noted that they are eligible for compensation only for animals confirmed as wolf kills and are not compensated for dead stock that are deemed only as “probable” wolf kills. Bucknall pledged to keep talking and working with producers as the depre dation investigation process is revised. Litigation over the legal status of gray wolves in most of the country is ongoing, according to an update from Lawson Fite of Marten Law, which means conflicts between wolves and livestock will remain a concern for the foreseeable future.

Public Lands Council Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover told meeting participants that while the public focus is often on legisla tion under consideration by Congress, work is going on every day in agencies, and this administrative work is where most of the ac tion is for producers. An example is the Bureau of Land Management’s revision of its grazing regulations, Glover said, which the BLM is hoping to release in draft form this spring. Glover said it is critical that producers engage with groups such as ASI and the Public Lands Council as the regulation revision pro cess moves forward. Glover noted that the Biden Administration is focused on those with lived experiences, so they want to hear from individuals. “Your engagement in this administration process is absolutely key,” Glover said. “Your voice is really the only one in these discus sions that matters.” The group heard good news as well, with Western Resources Legal Center providing legal assistance to natural resource user groups, while educating law school students about natural resourc es law, according to Dustin Van Liew. The public and government agency interest in using livestock grazing as a management tool has increased the number of local grazing partnerships, said Ben Lehfeldt of the National Grazing Lands Coalition. Texas A&M’s Dr. John Walker said that ASI’s updated targeted grazing handbook is in the process of being revised and should be ready for release next year. Written for a broad audience of those wishing to operate a targeted grazing business, and those who want to hire credible contractors, the handbook is a “how-to” guide, with advice and recommendations from practitioners.

24 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org

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