Minnesota DNR updates wolf management plan, 10-year goals
FILE PHOTO: Lia and her brother Hooper, gray wolves in the exhibit pack at the Minnesota Zoo, peer out from a rocky perch in their enclosure Tuesday, March 15, 2022 in Apple Valley, Minn. (Photo by Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released an updated wolf management plan that it will use over the next 10 years to continue to increase wolf populations throughout Minnesota, and hopefully beyond.
The plan details the diverse and changing public attitudes about wolves, the legal status of wolves, tribal perspectives on wolves, and ways to support a healthy and resilient wolf population while minimizing conflicts between humans and wolves, according to the announcement.
It also includes summary information about Minnesota’s wolf population and the history of wolves in the state, as well as, framework for how the state will approach decisions about wolf hunting or trapping if the wolf is delisted as endangered federally.
"The DNR is continuing Minnesota’s longstanding commitment to wolf conservation and ensuring that our wolf population remains healthy and stable," Kelly Straka, DNR wildlife section manager said in a statement.
Goals in the plan are designed to support Minnesota’s vision for wolves and to maintain a well-connected and resilient wolf population, collaborate with diverse partners to collectively support wolf plan implementation, minimize and address human-wolf conflicts, inform and engage the public about wolves in Minnesota, conduct research to inform wolf management, and administer the wolf program to fulfill agency responsibilities and the needs of the public and partners.
To learn more about the plan, click here.