Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Grant

WSDA grant funding a community-based, nonlethal approach to reducing livestock depredations by wolves in Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties. The current 2025-2027 round made $840,000 available (RFP released May 22, 2025; proposals due June 6, 2025; project period July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027). Per RCW 16.76.020, funds are distributed only to nonprofit community-based collaborative organizations, which deploy nonlethal deterrence resources benefiting area livestock producers. Biennial program tied to the state budget; awarded in prior biennia (2017, 2019, 2021).

Nonprofit community-based collaborative organizations with advisory boards that include relevant agencies (e.g., US Forest Service, WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife). Serves livestock producers in Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties; individual ranchers do not apply directly.

No per-award ceiling or floor and no matching requirement are published. The RFP states only the size of the pool: "The Washington State Legislature has appropriated $912,000 for the 2025-2027 biennium. After the administrative costs, $840,000 is available to award. Additional competitive solicitations may be conducted." The program page repeats that "$840,000 is available to award for this round of applications." How that is split among grantees is left to the review process, so applicants should size their own budget request.

The binding cost condition is on overhead: "Indirect costs are not allowed. Indirect costs are defined as expenses that are incurred for common objectives and cannot be specifically identified with a particular project or activity. These typically include administrative expenses such as rent, utilities, general office supplies, and salaries of administrative staff." Administrative or clerical work can be charged directly only if it is "integral to the project," tied to identifiable individuals, "explicitly included in the budget or receive prior written approval from WSDA," and "not also recovered as indirect costs elsewhere."

Term: the 2025-2027 award runs a two-year project period, "July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2027." The program is biennial, tied to the state budget.

What the money may buy is narrowly bounded: "Funds must be used exclusively for the deployment of nonlethal deterrence resources, including human presence and locally owned and deliberately located equipment and tools, as outlined in RCW 16.76.020," and only "in counties east of the Cascade crest that share a border with Canada" (Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille). Ongoing conditions attach to the award: "Range riders or herd monitors must visit targeted areas with cattle daily or nearly daily," "all range riders must document activities with GPS tracking logs and submit reports to WDFW on a monthly basis," and coordination with other grantees is required.

Funds come from "the Northeast Washington Wolf-Livestock Management Account (RCW 16.76.030), a nonappropriated account managed by the state treasurer," and WSDA "will maintain a public list of grants awarded under this section, including the amount, recipient, and purpose, as required by statute." Note that individual ranchers do not receive these funds directly — only nonprofit community-based collaborative organizations may apply.

Download and submit the WSDA Request for Proposals (RFP) application during an open round. The 2025-2027 round closed June 6, 2025; the next biennial round is expected in the 2027-2029 budget cycle.