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.
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.