Minnesota's wolf population has been officially removed from the federal endangered species list and, starting today, will be managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Federal rules removing the Great Lakes population of wolves from the endangered species list took effect in Wisconsin and Michigan as well. Wolves will be managed in Minnesota by state statute, rule and under a wolf management plan.
Similar to federal regulations, the state plan allows anyone to take a wolf to defend human life. Any wolves taken must be reported to a DNR conservation officer within 48 hours, and evidence must be protected.
Unlike federal regulations, state regulations allow harassment of wolves that are within 500 yards of people, buildings, livestock or domestic pets to discourage wolves from contacting people and domestic animals. Wolves cannot be attracted or searched out for purposes of harassment, and cannot be physically harmed.
The long-standing wolf depredation control program, managed by U.S, Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services in Grand Rapids, will continue uninterrupted by the legal changes, said Mike DonCarlos, DNR wildlife research and policy manager. "Control of depredating wolves in Minnesota has been and will continue to be the key to public tolerance of a thriving wolf population on the landscape."
In addition to the continuing federal wolf depredation programs, the state wolf plan has new provisions for taking wolves that are posing risks to livestock and domestic pets. Owners of livestock, guard animals, or domestic animals may shoot or destroy wolves that pose an immediate threat to their animals, on property they own or lease in accordance with local statutes. "Immediate threat" means the observed behavior of a gray wolf in the act of stalking, attacking, or killing livestock, a guard animal, or a domestic pet under the supervision of the owner.
The DNR will also designate conservation officers in the wolf range to ensure enforcement of provisions of the wolf plan. Although by law, DNR became the legal authority for wolf management in Minnesota today, several wolf protection groups have filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the removal of federal protection. At this point, it is unknown if a lawsuit will be filed, and unknown what the ultimate outcome might be. However, DNR is obligated to implement state regulations in the meantime.
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