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Minnesota lawmakers hear testimony on shortfall in wolf and elk depredation payments
Summary
Lawmakers heard farmers and industry groups urge increased funding for the Department of Agriculturewolf and elk depredation accounts after the program ran out of money and could not pay all verified claims.
Senators in the Committee on Agriculture, Veterans Broadband, and Rural Development heard testimony Feb. 26 that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture ran short of funds to reimburse livestock producers for verified wolf and elk depredations.
The testimony focused on Senate File 469, a recurring appropriation to pay wolf and elk depredation claims. Sponsor Senator Johnson presented the bill and said the program has been in place since he arrived at the Legislature in 2017. He said department records show more claims than money available and urged the committee to include increased funding.
Why it matters: Producers say depredation payments reduce the financial and emotional burden when livestock are killed or crops and fences are damaged. Witnesses told the committee that the number of wolf-conflict calls and verified…
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