Revised Wolf Plan Fails Farmers

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association and Wisconsin Corn Growers Association are disappointed with the revised 2023 Wolf Management Plan released by the Department of Natural Resources on August 1. The plan is slated to go to the Natural Resources Board for approval in October.

“The Department of Natural Resources revised 2023 Wolf Management Plan released this week completely ignores rural Wisconsinites living in primary wolf habitat and allows out-of-state environmentalists to determine the management of Wisconsin’s apex predator,” said WFBF President Kevin Krentz. “The Natural Resources Board should send the 2023 Wolf Management Plan back to the department with instructions to hold a public hearing in Wisconsin’s wolf range to truly address the concerns of rural residents. We need to do better for our farmers who live in wolf country.”

The revised plan largely mirrors the draft plan submitted nearly a year ago. The concerns of the farm groups remain unaddressed in the latest iteration.

“The plan fails to set a numeric population goal, expands secondary wolf habitat into central Wisconsin, and comment periods were held online while never addressing rural Wisconsin residents in-person, allowing out-of-state activists to have a greater voice and undermining the hearing process,” said Brady Zuck, President of the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association. “This is unacceptable.”

“Our farm groups are displeased that the Department did not hold any meeting or public hearing on wolf issues or concerns in Northern Wisconsin with the farmers who are most affected by wolf predations,” said Mark Hoffmann, President of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association. “Farmers need to be part of this conversation.”

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association and Wisconsin Corn Growers Association will continue to work to seek delisting of the gray wolf from the endangered species list in the State of Wisconsin so that additional wolf management options are available to Wisconsin farmers.