The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council say they are pleased to see the House pass legislation designed to protect livestock from protected predators.

The bill would compensate livestock producers who experience depredation by federally protected species and fund methods to reduce conflicts between humans and predators. In the Senate, Environment and Public Works Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming introduced the American Conservation Enhancement Act.

One provision would provide depredation payments for livestock producers who experience animal losses caused by federally protected species, while also allowing producers to use non-lethal deterrence activities to help protect their animals. States previously funded these activities despite the federal level of protection for animals causing the predation. PLC and the NCBA have worked with Congress and federal agencies to provide relief to states through improved regulations and compensation programs.

“Livestock producers and states face significant burdens when the federal government implements protections for species without any support for the economic and natural resource impacts their decisions can have,” said PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover. “This relief comes at a time when producers are contending with serious losses due to multiple events.”

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