Loss Prevention Grant | Due May 31, 2025

Montana’s Livestock Loss Board is now accepting 2025 loss prevention grant applications. These grants support the mission of the board to help Montana Livestock communities by reducing the economic impacts of wolves, grizzly bears and mountain lions on individual producers by helping to reduce their losses by approving projects and funding programs that will discourage these predators from killing livestock.

Each July Montana’s Livestock Loss Board receives a limited amount of funding for loss prevention grants. Again this year, the board has adequate funding for larger projects. Applications are due by May 31st. Grant applications are available on the board’s website www.llb.mt.gov or by contacting the board office at [email protected] or 406-444-5609 to request an application.

Livestock Loss Board members will be meeting late June or early July this year to award the grants. Grant applicants are encouraged to attend the meeting and will be notified prior to June 2025 of the meeting date.

Preference will be given to projects meeting grant guidelines and scoring criteria. This does not mean you may not receive a grant if you do not meet some of the main criteria, but preference may be given to projects that meet criteria based upon available funds.

Criteria for the selection of projects and program participants include establishment of grant priorities based on factors such as areas with chronic depredation (five points), multiple depredation incidents (four points), single depredation incidents (three points), and potential high-risk geographical or habitat location (two points) in that order. Pages three and four of the application will be given 10 points related to grizzly bears, eight points related to wolves and six points related to mountain lions. Projects with a combination of predators may be granted a maximum of 10 points. This is the basis for scoring all applications.

All grants issued by the board require a 30% cost share from the applicant. Cost share may be in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions. All cost share information must be documented. Receipts for materials and labor are essential. A limit of up to ten percent of the total grant request is placed on indirect expenses such as office time, grant monitoring and consulting. At least 90 percent of the grant funds must be used for on the ground projects.

Livestock per-capita will be checked and must be current for either the applicant or for the ranches participating with an applicant. Failure to be current on per-capita will cause a grant application to be denied. Please be sure you can comply with the requirements. They are listed in the application.

State law 2-15-3111, MCA directs board actions for loss prevention grants. A copy of this law is available at 2-15-3111. Livestock loss reduction program, MCA (mt.gov)

Montana Livestock Board
Livestock Loss Prevention Grant Program
PO Box 202005
Helena MT 59620
(406) 444-5609
[email protected]
www.llb.mt.gov