Malone: Ask legislators to support the Native Carnivore Nonlethal Coexistence Act

Coexistence methods that prevent conflict between livestock and native apex predators, including wolves, cougars and black bears, have been proven to effectively reduce losses of livestock to predators, often to zero. For example, in 2023 the Wood River Wolf Project in Idaho maintained 24,000 sheep in 1,200 square kilometers with no losses to wolves and no wolves killed. The Alderspring ranch in Idaho grazes cattle on nearly 47,000 acres having no losses from wolves and no wolves killed in the last nine years. By keeping cattle together, the Anderson Ranch in Montana has had no losses to wolves in herded first-calf heifers. However, according to the USDA only about 15% of Colorado’s cattle ranchers use nonlethal coexistence methods.

Thanks to the just introduced “Native Carnivore Non-Lethal Coexistence Act,” if passed funding would be provided for and training for implementation of nonlethal coexistence methods. These conflict prevention techniques are not only beneficial to producers, but allow carnivores to thrive, enabling them perform their ecological roles in improving ungulate herd health by selecting weak and diseased prey, enhancing biodiversity by moderating coyote abundance, creating ecosystem stability and resilience to climate warming by allowing vegetation recovery, and improving soil, streamflow and rangeland health for livestock producers.

Please ask your legislator to support the Native Carnivore Nonlethal Coexistence Act — HB24-1375, which would provide funding for Coexistence methods while only requiring that livestock producers use Coexistence methods to be eligible for loss compensation.

Delia Malone

Redstone