State law authorizes payments to the owners of livestock that have been killed or injured by certain large predators, including wolves. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) also issues payments for indirect livestock losses, such as reduced weight gains, as a result of harassment by wolves.
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The Fish and Wildlife Commission is statutorily authorized to adopt criteria for the type of damage qualifying for compensation. Pursuant to this authority, the WDFW requires that claims for higher than normal livestock losses, reduced weight gains, or reduced pregnancy rates due to harassment of livestock by wolves include:
To calculate the amount of an indirect damage claim, the WDFW must?compare current year losses to the average annual loss a claimant was experiencing before the reestablishment of wolf populations in Washington. An indirect damage claim is defined as a damage claim for livestock losses, reduced weight gains, or reduced pregnancy rates due to harassment of livestock by wolves.
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An indirect damage claim may also include the value of a livestock loss from the discovery of a carcass if the cause of death is indeterminate but the loss or injury occurred in an area occupied by wolves.