11/18/08 Draft wolf plan has very progressive livestock compensation

Washington Ag November 18, 2008 Cattlemen attending last week's Washington Cattlemen's Association annual convention were told that the compensation program agreed to in Washington's draft wolf management plan would be the most generous in the nation. Harriet Allen, Endangered Species Program Manager for the Department of Fish and Wildlife explains why. Allen: "Because it pays more. It pays from 100% to 200% of the value of the animal. And it addresses differences in small acreages and large acreages. With the small acreages there is an assumption you would find most dead animals, but on the larger acreages you have more of a chance of not finding missing animals so there is a section in the compensation package that addresses unknown losses, which really has not been done in any of the other plans." Washington State University economist Shannon Niebergs compared the draft plan with other wolf compensation plans in the U.S. and agreed it's the most progressive. Public meetings on the plan are expected to be held next summer. The only compensation currently available to livestock owners in Washington from a confirmed wolf kill is from the Defenders of Wildlife. Allen says there is one confirmed wolf pack of two wolves in the state. wolves. I'm Bob Hoff.