The Socorro County Board of County Commissioners made good on their commitment to support the ranching industry by contributing $100,000 to the County Livestock Loss Authority.

A Joint Powers Agreement between Socorro, Catron and Sierra counties was created last May to help protect the rights and livelihood of cattle growers in the three counties who feel threatened by the federal government’s management of the reintroduction of the endangered Mexican gray wolf.

The agreement maintains that the pervasive ranching community is a “key positive socioeconomic factor, and major land use in Socorro, Catron and Sierra counties” and is essential to the custom, culture and traditions of this region of New Mexico.

“The commissioners have agreed to share resources with our two neighboring counties to potentially access available federal, state and private funding to mitigate the economic impact borne by New Mexico livestock producers,” said Michael Hawkes, Socorro County Manager. “This fund is for cattlemen and livestock owners that experience deprivation of their herds due to the wolves. This would be in addition to what the federal government pays because sometimes their findings vary between them and local law enforcement.”

He said there had been some instances following a federal investigation that a livestock owner was experiencing problems receiving federal funds for the depredation of their herd.

“Even a county Sheriff’s Deputy or livestock inspector might have a more time-sensitive report that could be utilized in conjunction with the government’s,” Hawkes said. “For any compensation to take place in addition to, or other than the Fed’s.”

Currently, ranchers are compensated by the federal government for 75 percent of the value of cattle killed by gray wolves.

Hawkes said the CLLA intends to clarify the rights of ranchers and cattle producers by determining the compensation rate for each livestock animal depredated by wolves and the compensation rate for wolf presence.

The so-called “pay for presence” plan would compensate the landowners, allotment lessees and livestock operators who allow wolves to be present on private property and accept potential wolf depredation on livestock, per the funding source requirements.

“The concern has to do with the direct economic impacts that the Mexican wolf and the recovery effort is having on both the counties and the New Mexico livestock producers impacted,” Hawkes said.

The three-county alliance is governed by a five-member board consisting of one representative from each of the three counties, one livestock producer and one nongovernmental organization.

Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Mexico Game and Fish Department, the USDA Wildlife Services and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture shall serve as ex-officio members of the CLLA Board, with no voting powers.

Coincidentally, on the federal level, thanks to recent legislation introduced by New Mexico Congressman Gabe Vasquez, ranchers and livestock owners may be given a welcome boost in compensation. The Wolf and Livestock Fairness, or WOLF Act, introduced two weeks ago by Vasquez and Greg Stanton of Arizona, along with David Schweikert of Arizona and August Pfluger of Texas, would fully compensate ranchers who suffer livestock losses due to Mexican Gray Wolf predation.

The bill would effectively increase compensation for ranchers to 100 percent of the value of cattle loss and compensate them for decreased herd sizes.

“This bipartisan bill strikes the right balance to fully compensate ranchers for livestock loss and decreases in herd size due to wolf depredation in New Mexico and Arizona,” Vasquez said in the statement. “Apex predators like the Mexican gray wolf, native to New Mexico, belong on the land, but have also caused our ranchers significant hardship. This legislation will provide the necessary compensation to ranchers who depend on their cattle to feed their families and the nation.”

In the press release, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau President Larry Reagan said he supports the measure.

“The population of Mexican wolves continues to grow while New Mexico’s ranchers are left behind,” Reagan said. “Current depredation programs such as the Livestock Indemnity Program and Wolf Livestock Loss Depredation Grant Program fail to make ranchers whole from the involuntary pressures and conflicts resulting from the growing Mexican wolf presence.”

During the most recent district work period, Vasquez met with the Catron County officials to discuss working together to provide resources for ranchers affected by the Mexican Gray Wolves and how to best ensure the reintroduced population can coexist with residents.

John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain