MLF's Rural Partners program strives to help establish California’s Central Sierra Nevada as a “Zero Depredation” region where both domestic animals and wild animals are protected through the use of best management practices and proactive measures to prevent conflicts with wildlife.

California’s Central Sierra Nevada includes Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra and Tuolumne counties.

Why focus on California’s Central Sierra Nevada?

In California, a mountain lion is killed every three days for depredation.Almost one-third of these kills occur in the Central Sierra Nevada.

What is Depredation?

Depredation is when a domestic animal is killed or injured by a wild animal. The majority of depredations are highly preventable through the use of best management practices.

What are Best Management Practices?

Best Management Practices are pro-active measures residents and property owners can take to ensure the safekeeping of their domestic animals and to live responsibly alongside wildlife.

Protecting vulnerable animals is the only solution to preventing depredation.By taking proactive measures to protect domestic animals - including animal husbandry, safe enclosures, community education, vegetation management and many other methods - residents can dramatically reduce the risk of negative encounters with wildlife.

Killing wildlife is not a best management practice because it does nothing to protect livestock from future incidents, and in many cases taking lethal measures can make incidents more frequent.