LARGE CARNIVORE PREDATION ON LIVESTOCK IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON SOURCES OF HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AND CAN CAUSE FINANCIAL LOSSES AND OTHER HARDSHIPS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES.DUE TO SUCCESSFUL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION EFFORTS, LARGE CARNIVORE POPULATIONS ARE RECOVERING GLOBALLY, EXTENDING BEYOND PROTECTED AREAS INTO HUMAN-DOMINATED LANDSCAPES AND INCREASING CHANCES OF HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT. THESE AREAS ARE OFTEN IN WORKING LANDS, WHICH PROVIDE ECONOMIC RESOURCES AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES WHILE ALSO FACILITATING CONNECTIVITY AND BUFFERING AGAINST MORE INTENSIVE LAND USES.THIS STUDY IS BASED IN THE EASTERN GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM (GYE), WHERE EXURBAN DEVELOPMENT AND LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION BY RECOVERING CARNIVORE POPULATIONS ARE CHALLENGING NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICGOALS. BALANCING WILDLIFE RECOVERY SUPPORT AND WORKING LANDSCAPES PERSISTENCE IS ONEOF THE GREATEST CONSERVATION CHALLENGES IN THE GYE. REDUCING CARNIVORE-LIVESTOCK CONFLICT IS A CENTRAL ISSUE NOT ONLY TO NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION, BUT ALSO TO THE ECONOMIC SURVIVAL AND RESILIENCE OF RURAL RANCHING COMMUNITIES.DESPITE THE INCREASE IN RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE DRIVERS OF CONFLICT AND INTEREST IN MITIGATION TECHNIQUES, MUCH IS STILL UNKNOWN ABOUT THE BARRIERS TO ADOPTING MEASURES TO PREVENT LIVESTOCK DEPREDATION.THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE SOCIOECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS OF MITIGATING CARNIVORE-LIVESTOCK CONFLICT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES USING DATA COLLECTED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH RANCHERS AND WILDLIFE MANAGERS WITH RELEVANTEXPERIENCE TO THIS ISSUE. BY GATHERING INFORMATION ON THE CHALLENGES THESE PEOPLE FACE, WE WILL HIGHLIGHT WHERE SUPPORT IS NEEDED AND POTENTIAL PATHWAYS FOR PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT. LESSONS FROM MY RESEARCH INTHE EASTERN GYE, WHERE CONFLICT HAS BEEN OCCURING FOR OVER 20 YEARS, CAN BENEFIT OTHER COMMUNITIES CURRENTLY DEALING WITH CARNIVORE-LIVESTOCK CONFLICT AND COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ANTICIPATING CONFLICT AS LARGE CARNIVORE POPULATIONS RECOVER. I ALSO HOPE THAT MY FINDINGS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE BROADER PUBLIC, BYHELPING TO BRIDGE THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE AND HELP THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT LARGE CARNIVORE CONSERVATION UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AND THE WORKING LANDS THEY STEWARD.