Determining costs could lead to compensation changes
Are elk eating the haystack? Are coyotes poaching lambs? Are bears in the beehives?
Farmers and ranchers have frequent contact with wildlife, and not all of it is beneficial.
A survey of beef producers aims to discover the true financial impact that wildlife has on ranching operations. It may lead to recommendations for changes in compensation, suggestions for damage mitigation or proposals for ecological goods and services provisions.
The survey is a joint project of Alberta Beef Producers and the Miistakis Institute, a non-profit corporation affiliated with Mount Royal University.
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“What we would like to see happen is ways to improve co-existence,” said Kim Good, a project manager at Miistakis who is managing the survey. “It’s busy landscape out there, and generally agriculture can be pretty complementary for wildlife, and particularly beef producers, so we want to get a really good, solid handle on the challenges that they are dealing with and ways that that can be helped.”
The goal is to support Alberta’s beef industry while maintaining healthy wildlife populations, according to an ABP news release.
The survey is available online and will be open until March 5. Good said 210 to 240 responses from each of ABP’s nine zones will be needed to make the survey statistically valid.
The survey asks producers to identify the types of wildlife they encounter, indicate the type and cost of damage wildlife that has incurred and note any actions they have taken to mitigate that damage.
It also asks what percentage of total income loss they are willing to tolerate because of wildlife.
Good said response to that question will be particularly interesting.
“I don’t know very many people in general who don’t like to see wildlife. Everybody’s in that boat. But when it starts to impact your well-being and your daily lives, then it becomes a challenge.”
ABP passed resolutions at last year’s annual meeting directing its executive to explore options for ecological goods and services payments for producers.
Members indicated that cattle producers’ protection of wildlife, water quality and biodiversity is important but comes at a cost that should be recognized.
ABP’s wildlife committee collaborated on survey questions. Good said surveys done in other parts of the world show wildlife interaction with producers is under-reported.
The survey, which does not require respondents to provide their names, is expected to help gauge the under-reporting and estimate true costs.
The survey can be completed at www.surveymonkey.cm/s/beefsurvey. Printed copies are available from ABP.
Results are expected to be available in early summer if response rates are sufficient.
