AI Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill changes when and how Minnesota can set an open season for wolves. It ties hunting or taking wolves to the wolf being delisted under the federal Endangered Species Act, and it requires a formal decision process that includes public input and interagency review.
Main Provisions
- Open season timing: There shall be no open season for wolves until after the wolf is delisted under the Endangered Species Act. After delisting, the commissioner may establish open seasons and restrictions for taking wolves.
- Public input: Any open season and its restrictions must provide an opportunity for public comment.
- Alignment with management goals: Any season restrictions and other requirements must be consistent with the goals identified in the wolf management plan adopted under section 97B.646.
- Interagency consultation: The commissioner must annually consult with the commissioner of agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) before determining the season restrictions and other requirements.
- Data review: The annual consultation must include a review of available data on wolf depredation of livestock and pets and other incidents of human conflict.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Delayed open season: The bill removes any current or immediate open season for wolves and creates a new threshold—open seasons can only be prescribed after wolves are delisted under the Endangered Species Act.
- Structured decision process: It adds mandatory public comment and annual interagency consultations (with agriculture and USDA APHIS) before setting season rules.
- Data-driven approach: It requires that depredation data on livestock and pets, plus other human-wolf conflicts, inform season decisions.
- Plan-based alignment: It requires that any open season stay aligned with the goals of Minnesota’s wolf management plan.
Relevant Terms open season wolves Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 delisted public comment wolf management plan section 97B.646 commissioner commissioner of agriculture USDA APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) depredation livestock pets human conflict taking wolves season restrictions
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 13, 2025 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Delisting prerequisite before opening an open season for wolves.",
"Public comment requirement for open season decisions.",
"Annual consultation with the commissioner of agriculture and USDA-APHIS in determining season restrictions.",
"Review of data on wolf depredation and human-wolf conflicts; decision-making aligned with the wolf management plan."
],
"removed": [
"Pre-delisting unconditional open season for wolves (if previously allowed)."
],
"summary": "This bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 97B.645, subdivision 9, to change the wolf open season framework. It provides that there shall be no open season for wolves until the wolf is delisted under the federal Endangered Species Act; after delisting, the commissioner may prescribe open seasons and restrictions with public comment, and must align with the wolf management plan.",
"modified": [
"Adjusts the conditions under which opening seasons for wolves can be set, tying them to federal delisting and Wolf management plan."
]
},
"citation": "97B.645",
"subdivision": "subdivision 9"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requirement that season restrictions be consistent with the wolf management plan adopted under 97B.646."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "This bill references the wolf management plan adopted under Minnesota Statutes section 97B.646, ensuring consistency of open-season decisions with that plan.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "97B.646",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Acknowledgment of the Endangered Species Act as a controlling federal framework for wolf delisting.",
"Delisting trigger per federal law affecting open-season authority."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, which governs delisting of wolves. Open-season determinations must be consistent with the Act (i.e., valid only after delisting).",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee