The Predator Project is composed of a grassroots network of over 1000 members who join together to write letters and make phone calls to help influence policy makers in both local and state governments. Every voice is critical in helping to save America’s predators and the Predator Project makes efficient use of its membership.

The Predator Project works on behalf of more than 12 species of predators that otherwise receive inadequate attention from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) department. The primary predators advocated on behalf of are:

The group also works on behalf of important prey species such as prairie dogs, which provide predators with essential food and/or habitat.

Among wildlife species, predators, as a group, have suffered the worst setbacks because of the human perception that they are a significant threat to our enterprises and safety. The truth of the matter is that extinction of these predators is the real threat to humans and our surrounding ecosystem. Humans need predators to help create and maintain intact ecosystems, as populations of diverse predator species are critical to maintaining the integrity of our wildlands heritage, and the ecological balance between wildlife and wildlands. Conservation biologists view the ecological status of predators like grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, wolverines, and black-footed ferrets as an indication of an ecosystem's health. For efficiency, the Predator Project has developed four distinct conservation campaigns to which its resources are directed.

Conservation of the Prairie Dog and Northern Grasslands Ecosystem.

To restore prairie dogs to 10 percent of all suitable habitat on public lands in the northern Plains region (Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota) and consequently increase the likelihood of conserving the many species associated with them: black-footed ferret, swift fox, ferruginous hawk, burrowing owl, etc.

Forest Predator Protection

To ensure that federal and state agencies adopt biologically sound management practices, based on the best available science, that will promote the long-term conservation of the grizzly bear, wolf, lynx, wolverine, fisher and marten and their habitats.

The Roads Scholar Project

To pursue the closure and obliteration of inappropriate roads on National Forest lands in the northern Rocky Mountains to reduce the direct and indirect negative impacts of roads on many species and habitat security.

Reformation of the Federal Wildlife Services Program

To ensure that Wildlife Services (formerly known as "Animal Damage Control") personnel use non-lethal control methods first in all predator control situations, and require livestock producers to pay for predator control work conducted by the Wildlife Services program.

Perhaps the biggest problem directly faced by the Predator Project is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services Program, the problem best explained in this manner: public money is being spent to kill publicly owned wildlife, often on public lands, for the benefit of a small percentage of private livestock producers, who are neither required to change their management practices to reduce predator conflicts nor directly pay for this government service.

Wildlife Services, formerly known as "Animal Damage Control," spent almost $20 million killing more than 80,000 coyotes, 7,000 foxes, 1,700 bobcats, 300 black bears and 250 mountain lions in the western 17 states in fiscal year 1996. Not only did the majority of this money come from the pockets of taxpayers, but lethal predator control is also an ineffective way to reduce livestock losses. Wildlife Services' own figures show that the ratio of the costs of predator control to the costs of livestock losses is over than 3:1.

Years of research show that lethal predator control is not only ineffective in the long run, but often does the opposite of what is intended, and increases rather than decreases livestock depredations. For instance, coyotes often compensate for high a high mortality rate by producing larger litters of pups, and have higher numbers of dispersing juveniles that are more likely than adults to prey on livestock. Also, by killing "resident" predators, which have more stable social structures, "transient" individuals move in and are more likely to depend on easy prey like livestock.

Wildlife Services also removes the incentives for ranchers to practice non-lethal predator control, which is most effective in the long run. In Kansas, where Wildlife Services' funding is low and its operations are non-lethal only, ranchers have employed alternative control methods such as penning of lambs and sheep at night and the use of guard dogs (both of which are common practices in Europe and South America). By implementing these practices, they have eliminated the need for extensive predator killing efforts and taxpayer funding.

Predator Project's goal is to ensure that Wildlife Services personnel use non-lethal control methods first in all predator control situations, and require livestock producers to pay for predator control work conducted by the Wildlife Services program. In June of 1998 Congress voted "Yes" to cutting Wildlife Services' Budget by $10 Million but then overturned the ruling a few days later. It is clear that the work of the Predator Project is making headway but is far from complete.

Acknowledgements:
  Text -- the Predator Project
  Photos -- National Park Services
                      Idaho Fish and Game Department
                      Louise Forrest

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For Additional Information
the Predator Project
POB 6733
Bozeman, Montana
59771 - USA
Phone: 406.587.3389
Fax: 406.587.3178
Email: predproj@avicom.net
www.wildrockies.org/predproj