Bipartisan Bill Promotes Nonlethal Solutions to Decrease Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Defenders of Wildlife commends the leadership of Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Steven Daines (R-MT) for introducing S.5234, the Human-Wildlife Conflict Reduction Act, which would promote the use of nonlethal solutions to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, including those between predators and livestock and harm caused by wildlife to human infrastructure. The bill would establish and authorize funding for a program to develop, implement and coordinate strategies advancing these priorities.

"This bill could add significant support to ranchers in states like California and Montana, where livestock depredations to predators can occur," said Dan Moss, senior government relations representative at Defenders of Wildlife. "Wildlife Services' Nonlethal Initiative has proven that killing wildlife does not need to be the go-to solution, and instead there are ways to address conflict so both communities and wildlife may thrive on the landscape."

This legislation would replace, codify and build upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services' successful Nonlethal Initiative, which has distributed funds to multiple states annually since its first federal appropriation in 2020. Defenders of Wildlife worked closely with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Wildlife Services to first establish that Initiative and has continued to advocate for sustaining and growing the program in the years since its inception.

Nonlethal tools such as range riders, fladry, guard dogs, electric fences and beaver management flow devices are effective when implemented proactively and correctly. These efforts by local communities, nonprofit organizations and government agencies in California, Montana and other states have reduced economic losses suffered by ranching and farming communities while simultaneously saving the lives of many of our most iconic wildlife species, including some which are threatened or endangered.

"This welcome bipartisan collaboration in the Senate underscores the reality that wildlife conservation is not a partisan issue. Indeed, partnerships across party lines will continue to be critical to advancing the goals of both protecting the economic interests of stakeholders who face potential conflicts with wildlife and conserving some of the most iconic wildlife species we have in this country. Defenders is grateful to Senators Schiff and Daines for their leadership in this effort," Moss said.

States that have received federal funding from the existing Nonlethal Initiative continue to be at the forefront of this effort to address real impacts experienced by rural communities and private landowners while simultaneously promoting wildlife conservation. This bipartisan leadership coming out of the Senate would strengthen this work and potentially expand it to more states across the nation.

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For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America's wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.

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