Conservation group ends wolf predation payments

Defenders of Wildlife changes focus as government creates similar program

BOISE (AP) -- A conservation group is ending its program to compensate ranchers for livestock killed by wolves, prompting criticism from Idaho officials including Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter.

The program by The Defenders of Wildlife has paid out more than $1.4 million for losses from wolves and grizzly bears since it began in 1987. In a letter this month to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, group president Roger Schlickeisen said the group originally planned to compensate ranchers for livestock losses to wolves until state, federal or tribal programs took its place.

"We've honored that commitment and have continued to pay compensation across the Northern Rockies and Southwest," he said.

Now that the federal government has created a wolf predation compensation program, Defenders of Wildlife is phasing out its predation payments in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Arizona and New Mexico.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the group hopes to spend the money on its programs aimed at helping ranchers better prevent wolf predation in the first place.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Cal Groen said Aug. 30 he remembers a different promise -- to pay ranchers until wolves were no longer protected at all -- and that the group was backing out of a commitment it made when wolves were reintroduced to Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in 1995.

"I think we have a major credibility problem," Groen said.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter accused the group of being disingenuous.

"Not only did the Defenders of Wildlife sue to overturn delisting and oppose state management, the group now has announced it will break one of its original promises devised to increase public acceptance of this species that was forced upon us by the federal government," Otter wrote in a statement distributed Aug. 31. "The Endangered Species Act does not work and won't work as long as promises are broken."

Wolves were delisted in 2008 but a lawsuit placed them back on the endangered species list. Wolves were delisted again a year later, but were again placed back under federal protections amid lawsuits filed by Defenders of Wildlife and other groups.

Suzanne Stone, the northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said Groen's characterization was wrong.

"Defenders has done more than any other conservation group in the country to assist ranchers with problems over wolf conservation and it's unfortunate that that wasn't appreciated by some," Stone said. "But it was appreciated by most, and I guess that's what counts."