After over 4 decades of being on the Endangered Species Act, gray wolves have been removed. Written By: Emily Beal | ×
Gray wolves have been protected under the Endangered Species Act for over four decades. Minnesota DNR photo
Over the years, many cattle producers’ herds have fallen prey to the gray wolf. However, with the population of the gray wolves rising, the species has been taken off the Endangered Species Act list, a much awaited announcement for northern Minnesota cattle producers.
“This announcement will definitely impact a lot of the northern cattle producers. Across the whole northern portion of Minnesota, we have seen the gray wolf population grow and continue to grow. As the population has come out of the endangered species limit, more of the cow calf producers are seeing more wolves on their property and seeing wolf attacks on their livestock as well,” said Allison Vanderwal, executive director of Minnesota State Cattlemen s Association.
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STATE MANAGEMENT: Minnesota laws continue to protect wolves in the state, even after they were delisted from the federal Endangered Species Act. Jan. 15 is the deadline for farmers to apply for Minnesota’s Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants.
While the federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves ended Jan. 4, Minnesota laws continue to protect wolves and provide stewardship guidance.
Minnesota, which has the largest wolf population in the lower 48 states, is home to an estimated 2,700 wolves across nearly 40,000 square miles of northern and central Minnesota, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
Per existing state law, Minnesota recognizes two wolf management zones. Zone A, the northeastern part of the state, has more protections for wolves, while Zone B, which represents the southern two-thirds of the state, has more flexibility for people to manage wolves to protect livestock and pets