State grants available for farmers working to prevent wolf attacks
[MGN]
Grant money from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now available to help farmers prevent wolf attacks.
A news release from the MDA states that a total of $95,000 will be awarded through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants.
The grants are meant to reimburse the costs of “approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.”
Livestock producers must enter into a grant agreement with MDA before incurring any costs that can be reimbursed.
Applications for the grants are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2024. Work for the grant must be done with expenses reported by August 31, 2024.
Expenses covered by the grant program include:
- Purchase of guard animals
- Veterinary costs for guard animals
- Wolf barriers, which may include pens
- Rope and fencing
- Wolf-deterring lights and alarms
- Calving or lambing shelters
To qualify for the grant program, producers must live within Minnesota’s wolf range – which is designated by the Minnesota DNR – or on property that is impacted by wolf-livestock conflicts, which is determined by the Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture.
Producers of the following livestock are eligible for the grants:
- Bison
- Cattle
- Chicken
- Deer
- Donkey
- Duck
- Geese
- Goat
- Horse
- Llama
- Mule
- Sheep
- Swine
- Turkey
The MDA adds 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 funding was appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature and funds were awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the MDA for grant distribution.