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.
"The recovery of the gray wolf in Minnesota and its removal from the protections of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is a remarkable success story," said Dave Schad, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director. "In Minnesota, we've been planning for the return of the wolf to state management for more than a decade. We're well prepared to assume full management responsibility."
The state wolf plan is designed to protect wolves and monitor their population while giving owners of livestock and domestic pets more protection from wolf depredation. It splits the state into two management zones with more protective regulations in the northern third, considered the wolf's core range.
The plan establishes a minimum population of 1,600 wolves to ensure the long-term survival of the wolf in Minnesota. The state's wolf population, estimated at fewer than 750 animals in the 1950s, has grown to its current estimate of 3,020. There will be no public hunting or trapping seasons on wolves for at least five years. The endangered species act requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor wolves in Minnesota for five years after delisting to ensure that recovery continues.
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.
Additionally, the owner of a domestic pet may shoot or destroy a gray wolf posing an immediate threat on any property, as long as the owner is supervising the pet. In all cases, a person shooting or destroying a gray wolf under these provisions must protect all evidence, and report the taking to a DNR conservation officer within 48 hours. The wolf carcass will be surrendered to the conservation officer.
In the southern two-thirds of the state (Zone B), a person may shoot a gray wolf at any time to protect livestock, domestic animals or pets on land they own, lease, or manage. The circumstance of "immediate threat" does not apply. A DNR conservation officer must be notified within 48 hours, and the wolf carcass will be surrendered to the conservation officer. Also in this area, a person may employ a state certified predator controller to trap wolves on or within one mile of land they own, lease, or manage.
"The major change with state management is the empowerment of individual people to directly protect their animals from wolf depredation, subject to certain restrictions," DonCarlos said. "Other changes will include the development of a state certified predator control program that will operate in addition to the continuing federal control program administered by USDA Wildlife Services."
To fully implement the state wolf management plan, DNR will hire a wolf specialist to coordinate all wolf management activities, and public information and education.
Additionally, Dr. John Erb, DNR wolf research biologist, will continue to address wolf research and population monitoring needs. Dr. Erb, who coordinates wolf population surveys, is currently conducting a pilot research study to develop an aerial wolf census.
"John is an exceptional wolf technical expert and research biologist," DonCarlos said. "With the addition of a wolf specialist the DNR will have the staff necessary to fully implement the state plan, and ensure that wolves continue to thrive in Minnesota while minimizing the inevitable conflicts that arise between wolves, humans and livestock."
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.
The complete wolf management plan, zone maps, population survey information as well as a question and answer fact is available online at
www.dnr.state.mn.us.
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Topic: MN Wolves off Endangered Species List (Read 5457 times)
