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Invited Statements from Concerned Organizations

Editor's Note: In 1998 the International Wolf Center invited concerned organizations to submit a position statement on the status of wolves for distribution on its web site. A new request for current statements has gone out to these and other organizations and statements will be updated as they are received. (return to list of Organizations)

The Minnesota Audubon Council

The Minnesota Audubon Council has adopted the following wolf policy.

1. We support delisting of the Eastern Timber Wolf from Endangered Species Act Protection when scientific evidence indicates that population goals of the wolf recovery plan have been met, and when the US Fish and Wildlife Service is confident that state wildlife policy and threats to wolves from habitat alteration and human predation will not re-endanger the wolf.

2. We support ecosystem based management of the wolf and its environment. Population goals should be established using credible science, with over-all ecosystem balance as a primary objective. Wolf population goals should be substantially above the minimum population targets identified in the recovery plan. Since wolf population levels will naturally fluctuate, setting the minimum population goal higher will more likely prevent relisting of the wolf as an endangered species. Wolf populations should not be manipulated to further single species management of the white-tailed deer population or any other single species. We oppose hunting or trapping of wolves solely to manage deer numbers.

3. We support state funding for a comprehensive program to educate Minnesotans on the ecology of the wolf and the ecosystem on which it depends. The education of human residents in wolf habitat is essential for ensuring the long-term survival of wolf populations.

4. We support a federal and/or state program to control wolves in unacceptable conflicts with humans. County or local control of these programs is not acceptable. We support discussion of methods to identify, document and control problem wolves. We believe these methods should be fair to human residents living in wolf habitat. We do not support an automatic right for landowners to shoot wolves on their property.

5. We support a fair program to compensate livestock owners for losses to wolves.

6. We support programs to provide incentives to livestock owners to implement proven animal husbandry practices which reduce the likelihood of future wolf depredation.

7. We support appropriations from the state general revenue fund to pay for the entire wolf management program. This program should include education, enforcement, wolf removal, and depredation compensation. All Minnesotans benefit from wolves. Therefore, fish and game funds, hunting license fees, and other funds derived from limited revenue sources should not be used to pay for the wolf management program.

8. We will not oppose sport hunting and/or trapping of the wolf in the future if scientific evidence demonstrates that these methods are necessary to achieve the goals of ecosystem based management to the wolf. We oppose sport hunting and trapping solely to appease humans who fear wolves. We believe that education as we described in #3 will address these fears.

9. The final state wolf management program must include penalties severe enough to deter poaching and include effective enforcement of all aspects of the program.