Re:Draft Environmental Assessment: Management of Wolf Conflicts and Depredating Wolves in Minnesota
ID: APHIS-2017-0023-0002
The membership of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association (MSCA) strongly support the Preferred Alternative, Integrated Wolf Damage Management, for managing wolf conflicts and depredating wolves in Minnesota. Wildlife Services should continue to have access to the full range of legal, practical and effective nonlethal and lethal methods for preventing and reducing wolf damage. There are decades of document successful application of the IWDM model. Additionally, USDA Wildlife Services’ are the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in North America on how to deal with the human/animal-wolf conflicts that occur in Minnesota due to the large population of wolves. Both the Department of Interior/USDA Wildlife Services and the State of Minnesota, when delisted from ESA status, must collectively remain fully involved in Minnesota wolf management.The option of lethal control must be retained and implemented when merited. Relocations and behavioral modification techniques remain problematic and will only lead to moving troublesome wolves to a different locations or regions. Non-lethal measures may be effective in some circumstances, but historically they are not a long term solution for chronic wolf-livestock or wolf-human conflicts. Nonlethal methods, such as noise and lights, may be effective when first implemented but lose effectiveness overtime. Compensating owners for dead or maimed livestock or pets is not a sustainable approach to wolf conflict management in Minnesota and will continue to reduce human acceptance and coexistence with wolves
MSCA opposes a non-lethal only approach to wolf control Minnesota.
Respectfully Submitted,
Krist Wollum
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association President
Posted: May 17, 2017
