Idaho Bills

Amends and adds to existing law to establish the Idaho Depredating Wildlife Appeals Board and to exempt the board from open meeting requirements.

This bill provides an appeal option for individuals experiencing depredation from wolves, grizzly bears, black bears,andmountainlions. Currently,whenanindividualsuffersloss,theymustcallAPHIS-WildlifeServices,a divisionwithinafederaldepartment, andhaveaninvestigatorcomeinspecttheinjuredordeadanimal. Wildlife Services follows a grading system of confirmed, probable, possible, or unknown and generally only observe the body. An individual can only receive compensation from federal government grants if the depredation is confirmed and state funding from wolf and grizzly bear loss when the depredation is confirmed or probable. Confirmed depredation is also a statistic to determine control of wildlife throughout the state. In its current form, once this single federal investigator makes a determination, that is the end of it. This bill would create an appeals board where three experts look at all the evidence and reconsider the determination of the initial federal investigator. This reconsideration would also assist the state in determining where control efforts should be prioritized. This board expends no money. They review all evidence. Having a closed-door meeting will help protect the identitiesandlocationsofthosewhoareappealingandallinvolvedintheappealsprocess. Moneyanindividual receives is still public information and will continue to be.