Lassen County adopts wolf management plan to track depredations and support ranchers

The Lassen County Board of Supervisors adopted a wolf‑management plan on May 16 following a presentation by Sheriff‑Coroner John McGarvey. The plan includes the county wolf management document, a predator deterrent ranch plan, a carcass‑disposal plan and a depredation report template that the sheriff said will be posted on the county website and made available at the sheriff’s office.

Why it matters: County livestock producers and the sheriff framed the plan as a first step to document losses and quantify the fiscal impacts of wolf depredation so the county can coordinate with state agencies and seek reimbursement where appropriate.

Sheriff McGarvey described months of stakeholder meetings with ranchers, Farm Bureau representatives and state Department of Fish and Wildlife staff, and said the plan is intended to be a ‘‘living document’’ that can be amended. He said steps already underway include less‑lethal hazing training for deputies and outreach to Assembly offices on legal mechanisms for posse‑style deterrents, while noting legal limits on public possession of some deterrent devices.

Local producers praised the measure. Taylor Agata, a local cattle producer, told the board he supports the plan as a practical way to begin documenting losses and establishing costs that could later support reimbursement requests. ‘‘The sooner we start keeping track, the sooner we can start quantifying the issue with the state,’’ Agata said. Wyatt Hanson, another local producer, encouraged coordination with neighboring counties in the Northeast corner of the state.

Board members commended the sheriff for drafting the plan and noted the document would be shared with other counties and posted online. The sheriff said County Counsel had reviewed the draft and that the plan includes a number of recommended—and largely voluntary—practices to improve rancher reporting and deterrent practices.

The board adopted the plan and directed staff to make it publicly available and to work with the sheriff on outreach materials and forms for producers to submit depredation costs and evidence.

What’s next: The sheriff said he will post the plan online, provide forms at the sheriff’s office, and continue stakeholder outreach. Because the plan is deliberate described as amendable, the board can revisit content, add references to state rules (for example on composting or carcass disposal) or update directives as laws or local priorities change.