Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board Will Have Roughly $1 Million For Coming Year

The Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board will have just over $1 million this summer to kill wolves across the state. Board officials requested $392,000 from the state’s general fund last week; that is the same amount the group requested in 2021. The IWDC is a five-member board that allocates money for control actions approved by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission following a wolf attack. In addition to the general fund money, the Board will also receive $300,000 from Fish and Game and $110,000 from livestock producers, as well as a roughly $230,000 balance.

Idaho expanded wolf killing last year with legislation that some say could lead to killing 90% of the state’s 1,500 wolves. According to the Idaho state Department of Agriculture, wolf attacks kill livestock 65 times between July 1^st and November 30^th, 2021. Idaho lawmakers last year made significant changes involving killing wolves, including allowing Fish and Game to enter into contracts with private entities to kill wolves.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September, at the request of environmental groups concerned about the expanded wolf killing in Idaho and Montana, announced a yearlong review to see if wolves in the U.S. West should be relisted under the Endangered Species Act. Lawsuits have also been filed challenging aspects of the expanded wolf killing.

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