Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants, funded by the Minnesota Legislature earlier this year, are now available to livestock producers.

Grants totaling $120,000 are available to producers this fiscal year, July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018. Another $120,000 will be available next fiscal year, July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019.

Applications for this fiscal year are due Nov. 24.

The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Eligible expenses for the grant program will include any or all of the following items:

• purchase of guard animals

• veterinary costs for guard animals

• installation of wolf-barriers, which may include pens, fladry (a line of rope mounted atop a fence, with piece of fabric hanging from it that will flap in the wind and deter wolves) and fencing

• installation of wolf-deterring lights and alarms

• calving or lambing shelters

• other measures demonstrated to effectively reduce wolf-livestock conflicts

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, chickens, deer, donkeys, ducks, geese, goats, horses, llamas, mules, sheep, swine and turkeys.

The grant application must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m. Nov. 24.

Work for this first grant cycle must be done and expenses reported by June 30, 2018. More information can be found at MDA wolf conflict prevention grant webpage.

The application can be found at the MDA's wolf grant application webpage.

Source: MDA