Below is a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In October 2025, the Sierra County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency due to increasing public safety concerns linked to the growing wolf population. Six months later, wildlife officials lethally removed four wolves for chronic livestock depredation. 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has started a process to evaluate California’s Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program (WLCP).  

On Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, CDFW held an initial meeting with a group of stakeholder representatives previously involved in the development of the wolf-livestock program. 

This meeting marked the first step in a broader public process that will gather input and perspectives from key stakeholder groups involved in livestock production, wolf conservation, research and government agencies, as well as from the public in the coming year. This process will include a rancher survey to garner input, as well as a series of rancher workshops and public meetings to gather a broad base of input on any adjustments to potential future funding, if appropriated by the Legislature and Administration. 

This first meeting focused on how best to provide a public process to evaluate potential adjustments to future applications and funding opportunities. This effort relates to potential future WLCP funding, if appropriated by the California legislature and Administration. 

CDFW recognizes that the WLCP affects a wide range of interests and will work in the coming months to ensure a broad swath of ranchers, communities, and interested parties are able to provide their input. As always, CDFW welcomes input on current and potential future programs at any time at wolfcompensation@wildlife.ca.gov. 

Participants in this initial meeting included representatives from the California Farm Bureau, California Cattlemen’s Association, Western Landowners Alliance, California Wool Growers Association, Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California, Berkeley, Defenders of Wildlife, the California Wolf Foundation, the California Center for Biological Diversity, Working Circle, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  

CDFW will continue working with these groups, as well as ranchers, and communities as the evaluation process moves forward. 

Since its inception as a pilot program in 2021, CDFW’s Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program has paid out more than $3.5 million to livestock producers whose operations have been impacted by the return of gray wolves to California. 

For more information about the evaluation process, timeline and opportunities to participate, please visit CDFW’s Wolf Livestock Compensation Grants webpage. 

(Photo credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife)