St. Paul, MN: Minnesota livestock producers can now apply
for grant money to help prevent wolf attacks. The Wolf-Livestock Conflict
Prevention Grants were funded by the Minnesota Legislature earlier this year.
There is $120,000 available to producers this fiscal year
(July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) and another $120,000 available next fiscal year
(July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019). Applications for this fiscal year are due
November 24, 2017.
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 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, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep,
swine and turkey.
The grant application must be emailed or postmarked by
5:00 p.m. on November 24, 2017. Work for this first grant cycle must be done
and expenses reported by June 30, 2018. The application and more information
can be found at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/grants/disaster/wolf/wolfconflictprevent.aspx.
