St. Paul, Minn: New funding is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. A total of $25,000 funded by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, will be awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants.
“Livestock depredation by wolves is a serious threat to farms in Minnesota,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “Receiving this funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and being able to administer it to farmers experiencing this hardship is a crucial step to help curb this conflict.”
The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Eligible expenses for the grant program 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.
The funding 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.
Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on December 18. Work for this grant must be done and expenses reported by October 31, 2027. The application and more information can be found on the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grant webpage.
In addition to this funding, the MDA has been able to take vital steps in easing the burden of wolf livestock depredation on farmers by providing a compensation fund for livestock lost by wolf depredation. In 2026, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided the MDA with an additional $55,000 to compensate farmers for previously lost livestock. This funding was available to aid more farmers and supplement the state investment in livestock compensation allocated by the Walz-Flanagan Administration. More information on the Wolf Compensation Depredation Fund is available on the MDA website.
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Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6285
allen.sommerfeld@state.mn.us
