Committee approves three USDA Wildlife Services claims for 2024, staff recommended payouts

Alex (Alec) Sandales of USDA Wildlife Services delivered the county’s 2024 program summary and recommended approval of three claims for wildlife damage at the Feb. 5 Planning, Resources and Development Committee meeting.

“We have 15 enrollees in 2024, down from 28 in 2023,” Sandales said, and reviewed three 2024 claims. He recommended approval for all three. Two claims (Dan Larson and Scott McHenry) involved abatement by shooting permits and were described as compliant with notification and harvest objectives. A third claim involved an alpaca killed by a bear; Sandales said the owner also installed a four‑strand electric fence around the alpaca enclosure to reduce future losses.

A committee member asked about the apparent discrepancy between appraised damage and the claim amount. Sandales explained the program requires a $500 deductible, which reduces the claim payment by $500 for each claimant.

After discussion, a committee member moved to approve payment and another seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the motion-carried announcement followed and staff recorded payment approval.

The committee did not record dollar amounts for the three claims in the public discussion; Sandales said totals were computed using commodity prices approved at the committee’s Dec. 18 meeting. He recommended approval on factual compliance grounds: notification, implementation of prescribed abatement, and appraisals completed where required.

No additional follow-up action or further conditions were recorded at the meeting.