Legislation that would have banned a wolf hunting season in Minnesota forever, even when delisting from the Endangered Species Act takes place, failed to pass as the legislature adjourned for the year.
In the closing days of their legislative session, the Minnesota House of Representatives amended SF 2314 (an appropriations bill for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) with language that would have also prohibited the agency from opening a season on wolves. Because the senate rejected the amended bill, the two chambers appointed a conference committee to work out differences. A campaign by the Sportsmen’s Alliance and Minnesota sportsmen’s organizations successfully persuaded senators to continue to oppose the wolf-hunting language. The session expired without an agreement, which resulted in the death of the proposal.
Despite repeated efforts to remove wolves in the Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin from Endangered Species Act protections, they remain federally protected as a result of litigation by animal-rights organizations. Wolves in the region have fully recovered, are thriving and should be managed by the states. The failed language in SF 2314 would have prevented a wolf hunt even if the federal government removes protections.
“What’s scary is that animal-rights groups came very close to banning hunting for a species that has met every benchmark that signals it’s recovery and health,” said Bruce Tague, vice president of government affairs for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “If not for the senate and a few strong members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, the legislature would have approved a ban that goes against the scientific opinions of both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.”
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.