The DNR is currently working on a wolf season plan. State House and Senate Natural Resource Committee representatives were unavailable for comment on the removal of the waiting period.Īccording to DNR Wolf Management Specialist Dan Stark, any potential wolf season will probably be further off than a year, if for no other reason than the process of creating guidelines and regulations for the season. But this past summer, the Minnesota legislature eliminated the wait period, meaning a wolf hunting season could theoretically be established by the fall of 2012. State regulations required a five year wait period after delisting before a hunting season could be considered. Under federal protection, the only case wherein an individual can shoot a wolf is if it is an immediate threat to human life.Īnother potential change would be the creation of a wolf hunting season. One of the largest changes with the transference of regulation from the federal level to the state would be that landowners could shoot a wolf that was threatening pets or livestock. Our management plan will ensure the long-term survival of this species,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “Minnesota’s wolf population has been above federal recovery goals for our state since 1989. Management of the species would then be left up to the state. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have noted there is no biological reason not to delist the gray wolf. It was classified as ‘endangered’ until 1978, at which time it was reclassified as ‘threatened.’ The ‘threatened’ status remains to this day.īecause of the thriving and stable population in Minnesota, wolf specialists with the DNR and U.S. The gray wolf has been on the Endangered Species list since 1974, when it was estimated that the wolf population was as low as 750. There are currently about 3,000 gray wolves in Minnesota: the largest population in the lower 48 states. The gray wolf is considered a success story of the Endangered Species Act, with current populations more than double the goal set by the recovery plan. Previous attempts were overturned after legal challenges to the delisting were brought forth, both times having to do with procedural technicalities. This will be the third time in the past decade that the gray wolf will have been delisted. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will then be responsible for wolf management in the state. The wolf will then be officially taken off the federal Endangered Species list 30 days after the published rule. 28, for the gray wolf in Minnesota and the Western Great Lakes region. ![]() The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that it will publish the final delisting rule on Wednesday, Dec. With one of the largest North American Dealer Networks, Forest River is committed to helping customers with service when they are in transit and far from their local dealer.By Nathan Bergstedt Grand Rapids Herald-Review. ![]()
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