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County authorizes five‑year USDA wildlife‑services access agreement for beaver, coyote and wolf work
Summary
Crow Wing County authorized the Administrative Services Director to sign a five‑year work initiation agreement allowing USDA Wildlife Services access to county land for beaver and predator damage control and for wolf research; the agreement requires no county funding, staff said.
Jory Danielson, Administrative Services Director, asked the board to authorize him to sign a five‑year work initiation document with USDA Wildlife Services that would allow USDA personnel to carry out beaver, coyote and wolf damage control and research on Crow Wing County property and rights‑of‑way. Danielson said the agreement "does not involve any financial commitment from the county" and that the previous agreement had expired in 2012; USDA is now reestablishing similar agreements across Minnesota.
Danielson told commissioners the arrangement covers both direct work for the county (for example, beaver dam removal) and USDA access to county land when performing work on behalf of other agencies such as the Minnesota DNR, MnDOT and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. When asked whether wolves would be removed under the agreement, Danielson said the agreement is "pretty open ended" and could authorize removal activities if wolves are predators to livestock and USDA needs access to county land to trap or remove an animal on behalf of a landowner.
Commissioners moved and seconded approval authorizing the Administrative Services Director to sign the five‑year document; the board approved the authorization by voice vote.
