Grant Money Available to Minnesota Livestock Owners for Prevention of Wolf Attacks

Applications due January 5, 2024

St. Paul, MN: New money is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. A total of $95,000 will be awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Applications are due January 5, 2024.

The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Only costs incurred after entering into a grant agreement with the MDA are eligible for reimbursement. Eligible expenses for the grant program will include:

• Purchase of guard animals
• Veterinary costs for guard animals
• Wolf-barriers which may include pens
• Fladry and fencing
• Wolf-deterring lights and alarms
• Calving or lambing shelters

Eligible producers must live within Minnesota?s wolf range, as designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or on property determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture to be affected by wolf-livestock conflicts. Any animal species produced for profit and documented to have been killed by wolves in Minnesota in the past is eligible. This includes bison, cattle, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep, swine, and turkey.

The funding also requires an 80:20 matching cost-share, meaning 80% of eligible project costs will be reimbursed by the grant and the remaining 20% will be paid for by the grantee.

The grant application must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m. on January 5, 2024. Work for this grant must be done and expenses reported by August 31, 2024. The application and more information can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/wolfgrants.

This round of funding for the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants is made possible by monies appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature and funding awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the MDA for grant distribution.

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