( II.VFIEH 3: .\LTERN.\TlVJEil 



Table 25. Direction and guidelines for compensation of livestock losses due to wolf depredation in 

 Montana. State of Montana intends to find or create an entity to administer a compensation 

 program. The adaptive management model calls for selection of different management strategies 

 as the number of breeding pairs (according to the federal recovery definition) changes from 10-15 

 to greater than 15. The model al.so calls for different strategies, depending on landownership 

 patterns (Public Lands and Mi,\ed Land Ownerships), social factors, land use patterns, biological 

 constraints, and the physical attributes of the environment. Some management strategies may 

 apply across all numbers of breeding pairs or management settings, as indicated by the arrows. 



* Montana shares a legal requirement with the states of Idaho and Wyoming to maintain a minimum total of .W 

 breeding pairs in the region. For the purposes of adaptive management, Montana will apply the federal breeding 

 pair definition (a male and a female and at least two pups on December 31) since not ail packs successfully breed 

 and have pups every year. Montana would need to maintain 14-18 social groups (defined as four or more wolves 

 traveling in winter) statewide to reliably maintain a minimum number of 10 breeding pairs with at least two pups on 

 December 3 1 . 



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