USDA urges states to review wolf management policies

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has urged state partners to reassess wolf management policies and increase engagement with livestock producers to mitigate wolf predation. This directive follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14425, ‘Supporting America’s Ranchers,’ which aims to provide producers with better tools to protect their herds and livelihoods.

Rollins encouraged states to review specific wolf protections and collaborate with the USDA, noting that lethal removal may be an option when requested by authorized agencies and permitted by law. The USDA is also promoting awareness regarding how to report suspected predation to state agencies or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

To assist with economic impacts, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency has increased Livestock Indemnity Program payment rates under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. These rates now cover up to 100 percent of the determined market value for qualifying predation losses. Additionally, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) continues to provide wolf damage management assistance through more than 40 existing agreements with state and federal partners.