House hearing pits ranchers against conservationists over ESA section 10(j) reintroductions

WASHINGTON — At a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on understanding the consequences of experimental populations under the Endangered Species Act, ranchers from Arizona, Washington and Colorado on Thursday told members that reintroductions of wolves and grizzly bears under section 10(j) have caused economic losses, disrupted grazing and increased safety concerns, while a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official said 10(j) remains an effective conservation mechanism and urged better implementation rather than repeal.

The dispute centered on how much flexibility managers should have when reintroducing or managing predators and who should bear the costs of depredation. Dalton Dobson, introduced to the committee as a fifth-generation rancher and representative of the Arizona Farm Bureau, described repeated livestock attacks and changes to Fish and Wildlife Service confirmation guidelines that he said reduced ranchers’ compensation prospects. “In January 2024, we had a clear wolf kill…distant office staff downgraded it to probable because no soft tissue remained,” Dobson said, criticizing a 2023 change to depredation-confirmation standards and urging 100% reimbursement of market value for confirmed kills rather than the current 75%.

The hearing drew testimony…