Bill > HF601

This bill appropriates $125,000 from the general fund to the Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture for two specific purposes in fiscal year 2025: first, to compensate farmers for livestock destroyed or crippled by wolves, and second, to compensate for crop or fence damage caused by elk. For the wolf-related compensation, up to $5,000 can be used to reimburse university extension educators for determining fair market values of destroyed livestock. For the elk-related compensation, up to $10,000 can be used to investigate claims and train approved agents, and up to $40,000 can be used for grants to producers to protect stored crops from elk damage. If federal funding becomes available for wolf-related claims, an equivalent amount of the appropriation can be used for nonlethal prevention methods. The bill also allows the commissioner to transfer funds between the two programs if claims are unusually high. Both appropriations are one-time funds available until June 30, 2026, and will become effective the day following final enactment.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0601&ssn=0&y=2025