AB 1038

This bill makes changes to the wildlife damage abatement program and the

wildlife damage claim program.

Wild animal removal

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources may remove or

authorize the removal of a wild animal that is causing damage, including damage to

commercial agricultural crops. This bill prohibits DNR from issuing to a person a

bear carcass tag for the purpose of shooting a bear that is causing damage to

commercial agricultural crops.

Wildlife damage claim program and wildlife damage abatement program

Current law authorizes a person who owns, leases, or controls land on which

certain wild animals cause damage to crops or livestock (wildlife damage) to apply

to the county for wildlife damage claim payments and for wildlife damage abatement

assistance (wildlife damage payments). Wildlife damage for which a person is

eligible to receive wildlife damage payments includes damage caused by deer, bears,

geese, and cougars, as well as elk and sandhill cranes if hunting those animals is

authorized. Current law requires that, to be eligible for wildlife damage payments,

the location must be in a county that participates in the administration of these

programs. A county must apply to DNR to administer these programs, including in

its application a plan of administration that meets certain requirements. Once

approved, DNR provides funding to the county for the costs incurred in

administering these programs.

Under current law and DNR rule, a county pays 75 percent of the actual costs

of providing wildlife damage abatement assistance, for which it is reimbursed by

DNR, and the person receiving the assistance pays 25 percent of the costs. DNR pays

wildlife damage claims directly.

DNR administration

Effective January 1, 2025, the bill removes counties from the administration of

the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim program and

requires DNR to administer the programs instead. The bill specifies that, if DNR

provides wildlife damage abatement assistance to a person, DNR must determine

the actual cost of providing that assistance and pay 75 percent of that cost, leaving

the remaining 25 percent as the responsibility of the recipient.

The bill also eliminates the requirement under current law that a county

participate in the administration of these programs in order to be eligible for

reimbursement by DNR for the costs that the county incurs in processing and

donating venison from certain deer carcasses and in processing and donating meat

from certain wild turkey carcasses.

Wildlife damage claims

The bill increases from $10,000 to $25,000 the limit under current law on the

total amount that may be paid to a claimant for each wildlife damage claim. The bill