ST. PAUL — New money is available to Minnesota livestock producers to help prevent wolf attacks. A total of $60,000 will be awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. Applications are due January 24, 2022.

The grants provide reimbursement for costs of approved practices to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Eligible expenses for the grant program will include any or all of the following items:

• Purchase of guard animals
• Veterinary costs for guard animals
• Installation of wolf-barriers which may include pens, fladry, and fencing
• Installation of wolf-deterring lights and alarms
• Calving or lambing shelters
• Other measures demonstrated to effectively reduce wolf-livestock conflicts

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. This includes bison, cattle, chicken, deer, donkey, duck, geese, goat, horse, llama, mule, sheep, swine, and turkey.

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 grant application must be emailed or postmarked by 5 p.m. on January 24, 2022. Work for this grant must be done and expenses reported by August 31, 2022. The application and more information can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/wolfgrants.

This is the fifth round of funding through the Wolf-Livestock Conflict Prevention Grants. The first two rounds were funded by the Minnesota Legislature in 2017. This round and the other rounds have been funded by grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

— Minnesota Department of Agriculture