Union County Wolf Depredation Application Period is Open
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – (Release from Union County)
Background Information:
- On June 24, 2011, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3560, which directed the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to establish and implement a wolf depredation compensation and financial assistance grant program, using moneys in the Wolf Management Compensation and Proactive Trust Fund to provide grants to assist counties to implement county wolf depredation compensation programs.
- The ODA’s wolf depredation compensation and financial assistance grant program complements the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in the area of developing and maintaining a cooperative livestock producer assistance program that proactively minimizes wolf-livestock conflict and assists livestock producers experiencing wolf-related livestock losses.
- Locally, Union County established a Wolf Depredation Compensation Advisory Committee in January 2012. Members of the seven-person committee include one county commissioner, two members who own or manage livestock, two members who support wolf conservation/coexistence, and two county business representatives agreed upon by the members of the committee.
Applicants for Funding:
- Eligible applicants include livestock producers who have suffered losses within Union County attributed to wolf depredation; and livestock producers who desire to implement livestock management techniques or nonlethal wolf deterrence techniques designed to discourage wolf depredation of livestock in Union County.
Eligible Expenses:
- Eligible expenses include compensation for the cost of livestock management techniques or nonlethal wolf deterrence techniques designed to limit wolf-livestock interactions and discourage wolf depredation of livestock. Previous successful applicants included funding for fencing, range riders, herders, livestock guard dogs, and air patrol.
Available Funding:
- Grant funding is currently available to Union County livestock producers for nonlethal wolf deterrence techniques designed to minimize wolf-livestock conflicts.
- Funding may also be available for producers who have suffered losses within Union County due to wolf depredation.
Previous Awards:
- Since the Union County Wolf Depredation Committee began in 2012, over $75,000 in Oregon Department of Agriculture grant funding has been awarded to county livestock producers for non-lethal wolf deterrent methods, missing livestock, and death or injury to livestock due to wolf depredation.
Application Deadline:
- The deadline for applications is November 1, 2022. Additional information and applications to apply are available at www.union-county.org or by calling (541) 963-1001.
