Bill > SF2720

This bill modifies Minnesota's wolf management regulations by establishing a mandated annual open season for wolves, with specific provisions for hunting and population control. The bill requires the state's commissioner of natural resources to prescribe an annual wolf hunting season between November 1 and January 31, contingent on the wolf's federal endangered species status. The commissioner must consult with agricultural authorities and the USDA to review wolf depredation data and aim to maintain a wolf population between 1,251 and 1,400 animals. The bill also requires the commissioner to develop a wolf management plan with goals of ensuring wolf survival, reducing human-wolf conflicts, minimizing livestock and pet depredation, and managing ecological impacts. Additionally, the bill mandates quarterly reporting of wolf deaths and specifies that any changes to the wolf management plan must be expressly directed by the legislature. The bill removes previous language that prohibited wolf hunting and establishes more structured guidelines for wolf population management, reflecting a more proactive approach to balancing wolf conservation with human and agricultural interests.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2720&ssn=0&y=2025