Livestock producers in Minnesota feeling the wrath of wolf attacks have access to funds for reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will award $45,000 through Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Only costs incurred after entering into a grant agreement with the MDA are eligible for reimbursement.

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 the state in the past is eligible. This includes bison, cattle, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep, swine and turkey.

Eligible projects may include:

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.

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The grant application must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m. Jan. 3. Work for this grant must be done and expenses reported by Oct. 31, 2025. The application and more information can be found at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

According to the Minnesota DNR website, as of Feb. 10, 2022, the state’s gray wolf again became a federally protected threatened species. Under the current federal guidelines, wolves can only be shot if human life is threatened.

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.

Sources: Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association