Committee approves $21,200 wildlife-damage contract and sets $180/ton hay price and Nov. 1 harvest date

The Richland County Natural Resources Committee approved the annual wildlife-damage contract and budget totaling $21,200 and set an $180-per-ton hay price and an 80% harvest date of Nov. 1 for damage-claim calculations.

Contract and budget

Greg Serban, the contracted wildlife-damage coordinator, presented the contract and a budget itemization that includes administration, overhead, mileage and abatement. The contract also budgets for venison-donation processing if an appropriate local processor is available; staff noted there is currently no licensed processor in Richland County and the nearest available facility is in neighboring Grant County.

Commodity pricing and harvest-date rationale

The committee set the county’s standard hay valuation for damage claims at $180 per ton, reflecting local market averages obtained by staff. The committee also adopted Nov. 1 as the county’s 80% harvest-date threshold; the date helps the county distinguish between crops legitimately in the field and crops considered placed in storage or otherwise the owner’s responsibility for damage that occurs outside a normal harvest window.

Why it matters: The budget funds the county’s contracted wildlife-abatement services and establishes the valuation used to calculate indemnity claims submitted to the state and county programs.

Actions taken

- Budget/contract approved (total $21,200). - Commodity price for hay set at $180 per ton for claims. - County 80% harvest date set as Nov. 1 for the relevant claim year.

Provenance: Budget and contract discussion and approval recorded in the meeting transcript starting at 01:11:30; commodity-pricing and harvest-date discussion and vote recorded at 01:37:28.