Missoula, MT – Defenders of Wildlife today announced that it has paid $2,350 in compensation to two ranchers who lost livestock on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to grizzly bears in May.

The first payment of $900 was for a black angus cow killed on tribal land. The second payment of $1,350 was for an incident that occurred on private land during which a cow and her calf were killed – $900 was compensated for the cow and $550 for the estimated fall market value of the steer calf. Defenders of Wildlife has now paid $3,880 from its Grizzly Compensation Trust for losses on the Blackfeet Reservation this year.

"Grizzlies don't kill livestock often, but when they do, it's important for bear supporters to step up to the plate," said Minette Johnson, Northern Rockies program associate for Defenders of Wildlife.

In the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem, grizzlies have killed an average of eight cows and two sheep per year at a loss of less than $13,000 annually since 1998. In terms of both heads of livestock and financial value, that translates to a minuscule fraction of industry wide losses of livestock as compared to other causes such as disease, weather and other predators. However, Defenders acknowledges that these statistics offer little consolation to individual producers who lose livestock to grizzlies.

Defenders of Wildlife devised its wolf compensation fund in 1987 to compensate ranchers for losses due to wolves. Since that program’s inception, more than $115,000 has been paid to more than 100 ranchers from what is now the Wolf Compensation Trust. In 1997, Defenders assumed responsibility for the grizzly compensation program previously administered by the Great Bear Foundation. Defenders expanded the program to cover the entire Northern Continental Divide ecosystem in Montana, which includes Glacier National Park, adjoining national forest lands and the Blackfeet and Flathead Indian Reservations. In response to requests from landowners, livestock organizations and conservation officials, Defenders further increased the scope of the grizzly compensation program in 1999 to cover the Yellowstone ecosystem. Soon after, Defenders of Wildlife’s Board of Directors voted to formally create the Grizzly Compensation Trust – a dedicated fund of $100,000 to address future depredations.

Through Defenders’ Grizzly Compensation Trust, if a landowner suspects that a grizzly has killed livestock, he or she should cover the remains with a tarp, to protect the remains, and immediately call state or federal officials. Defenders relies on those officials, tribal biologists or animal damage control experts to examine suspected losses and confirm or deny the claims. If agency officials verify that a grizzly bear killed the livestock, an agency representative fills out a report and sends it to Defenders of Wildlife. There is no paperwork for the rancher.

Defenders will then contact the producer and ask for his or her assessment of the livestock's value. That figure is compared with current auction reports and livestock prices as reported in local newspapers. A check is then sent to the producer to compensate for the loss.

“We strive to get payment to the livestock producer within two weeks of receiving the incident report,” said Johnson.

Defenders relies on the local county extension agent to arbitrate during rare instances when there is a dispute about livestock value. The maximum payment per animal is $2,000. Defenders pays the projected fall value for calves or lambs killed in the spring or summer. The conservation group does not compensate for livestock protected through insurance or a governmental compensation program and will not pay compensation for livestock loses in Wyoming, since that state already has a compensation program.

“We recognize and appreciate the contributions that Defenders’ program has made toward grizzly recovery in the lower 48 states. Promoting acceptance of grizzly recovery among livestock industries is paramount to pursuing a successful recovery effort,” said Dave Garber, Chair of the Yellowstone Subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Defenders of Wildlife, founded in 1947, is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.