Minnesota fights wolf threats with new livestock grants

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Minnesota's Department of Agriculture (MDA) is stepping forward to help livestock producers address the common issue of wolf attacks. A significant grant of $95,000 is available through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Those interested in this opportunity should submit their applications by January 5, 2024.

This grant, a collaborative effort backed by the Minnesota Legislature and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, focuses on reimbursing costs linked to wolf-livestock conflict prevention. To ensure genuine claims, only expenses made post entering a grant deal with the MDA will be considered valid.

A wide array of preventive measures qualifies for this grant. Producers can claim reimbursements for purchasing guard animals, covering veterinary costs for these animals, building wolf-resistant barriers, implementing wolf-deterring alarms and lights, and establishing shelters for lambing or calving.

To be eligible, producers need to be within the state's wolf range or in zones identified by the Commissioner of Agriculture as wolf conflict prone.

A diverse range of livestock, including but not limited to bison, cattle, goats, and even poultry like chickens and ducks, are recognized under this grant, provided they have a recorded history of being preyed upon by wolves in Minnesota.

An 80:20 matching cost-share framework has been implemented. This means the grant will cover 80% of the eligible project costs, leaving the remaining 20% to the grantee.

As the deadline is January 5, interested people can find detailed information and the application at www.mda.state.mn.us/wolfgrants.

Remember, all project tasks and financial reporting need to be completed by August 31, 2024.