Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee January 7, 2004 Susan Kavanaugh, JLARC Consultant Tom Sykes, Legislative Auditor Rangeland Damage Compensation Program Sunset Review

2 The legislation also: Directed that half of unspent compensation funds go for habitat enhancement on public land Assigned a sunset review to JLARC and Set the expansion to expire June 30, 2004 Washington has a program to compensate for deer and elk damage to commercial crops. In 2001 the Legislature expanded the program to: Allow claims for damage to “rangeland forage on privately owned land used for grazing or browsing of domestic livestock ” Major recommendation: Let program expansion expire

3 The Crop Damage Compensation Program: Most claims are for field crops or orchards Total claims FY99-03 average $400,000/yr 70% of claimants received some compensation Washington is one of 19 states that offers some compensation for wildlife damage Only 5 states compensate for standing hay and pasture crops

4 Prior to the 2001 legislation, in the absence of direction from statute, Department of Fish and Wildlife handled forage damage claims as follows: Included Grey Area, Sometimes Included, Sometimes Not Animal Forage Damage Claims Hay Cultivated Pasture Grass Natural Rangeland Excluded

5 Implementation of 2001 legislation 6 natural rangeland claims filed in 2 ½ years 3 claimants Total claimed = $28,000 0 claims paid (one refused, one pending) Pasture grass claims consistently accepted No funding for public habitat enhancement (statutory issue) Evaluating rangeland damage complicated

6 Recommendations The Legislature should consider: Letting the natural rangeland damage compensation program expire June 30, 2004 Directing Department of Fish and Wildlife to convene a task force to draft rules for payment of claims for hay and cultivated pasture grass Creating a more workable funding mechanism in statute if the Legislature wishes to continue to direct a portion of unspent compensation funds to habitat enhancement on public lands