Deadline nears to comment on new Minnesota wolf plan

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is taking public comments on the agency’s draft wolf management plan through 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8.

The public can review the wolf plan at mndnr.gov/WolfPlan .

Comments can be submitted by completing a survey at engage.dnr.state.mn.us/Wolf-Plan ; emailing written comments to wolfplan.dnr@state.mn.us ; or by mailing written comments to Wolf Plan, Box 20, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

The updated wolf management plan includes information about Minnesota’s current estimated wolf population and a history of wolves in the state. It 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.

The plan doesn’t call for any specific hunting or trapping seasons, nor does it set limits on how many wolves should live in the state, but essentially declares that Minnesota has about the right number of wolves right now and underscores that the vast majority of Minnesotans want to see wolves continue to thrive.

The draft plan does set out a framework for future decisions about whether to hold a wolf hunting or trapping season if the wolf is removed from its current federally protected status as a threatened species in the state.