MN HF2277

Commissioner of agriculture may award grants to Minnesota livestock producers for costs to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts, with an optional annual cap per recipient.

Eligible applicants must raise livestock within Minnesota's wolf range or on property determined by the commissioner to be affected by wolf-livestock conflicts.

Eligible prevention activities include purchase of guard animals, veterinary costs for guard animals, installation of wolf barriers (pens, fladry, fencing), wolf-deterring lights and alarms, and calving or lambing shelters.

Grant recipients must make good-faith efforts to avoid conflicts and care for guard animals, maintain expense documentation, report annually on nonlethal method effectiveness, and allow commissioner follow-up evaluation and monitoring.

$200,000 appropriated for fiscal year 2018 and $200,000 for fiscal year 2019 from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for the grant program.