Support Wisconsin’s Wolf Management Plan

During the egregious wolf hunt that occurred last February, the public called for a pause and for Wisconsin to approach wolf management based on sound science, public input, and Tribal consultation. Fast forward to today, and thankfully, federal protections have been restored and wolves are protected.  

We know (and the radical hunter groups are hoping) that this protection is unlikely to last forever. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is preparing for the time when they will be responsible for ‘managing’ Wisconsin’s wolves. This management is governed by the plan known as the Wolf Management Plan. 

The DNR released Wisconsin’s draft Wolf Management Plan a few weeks ago. The current, shoddy plan (that is over twenty years old) was used to advocate for the laws and decisions that led to the egregious wolf hunt we saw last February. 

The new draft plan does what we were calling for. It centers science, public input, and Tribal engagement- the core tenets of the best way to protect, conserve, and sustain natural resources.  

Make sure you submit comments and support the plan. After you’ve read through the plan, you can submit comments using the DNR’s survey form here.  We have created a toolkit to dive into the details of the plan, how to submit comments, and how to encourage others to do so as well. Check out that toolkit here.  To learn more about the plan or ways you can promote it, RSVP to our Volunteer Night on Thursday, December 15.

Here are some of the highlights from the draft plan:
Things we like:

• The plan removes a numeric population goal: Removing an arbitrary wolf population goal is important to make sure the numbers of wolves are adaptable, so they can be based on best-available science and ecological changes.
• The plan creates low quota zones around Tribal lands where the Tribes requested it: These lands are treaty-protected with documented wolf packs. Making this update is an important and welcome addition to the plan. Ideally, the plan would expand these zones beyond just the few that are listed. 
• The plan is rightly focused on the ecological benefits of wolves
• The plan is reflective of the public opinions survey that was released along with the plan and finds that opinions toward wolves have grown significantly more favorable towards wolves
• There is expressed commitment to science and continued research with partners and acknowledges that “keystone species such as wolves are an important component of a healthy ecosystem”

Things we’d like to see added:

• The DNR should better regulate hound training on wolves. The DNR should close wolf-focused hound training activities as each wolf hunting zone closes.The plan currently would allow hounds to chase wolves for training purposes during the wolf hunting season, across the entire state, until the very last wolf zone is closed. This could go on for months and would interfere with the wolf breeding season in late winter.   
• There is currently no guidance in plan for next review or update – there should be a plan for regularly updating the plan (so we don’t have another plan that is used for decades) and there should be permanent, ongoing stakeholder AND science committees to oversee wolf management in Wisconsin – The scientific oversight is critical.
• The plan acknowledges that there are responsible farming practices and other non-lethal options to reduce wolf and livestock conflicts, but stops short of recommending that the DNR prioritizes these opportunities. 

 
Public Comments are open on this plan now. Unlike with traditional comment periods, the DNR is using a survey tool to gather comments.  After answering some background questions about you, you’ll be asked three questions, and you have an opportunity to add other comments. The questions are:

• Overall, what elements from the draft plan do you LIKE? Being specific is most useful to our team.
• Overall, what elements from the draft plan do you DISLIKE? Again, being specific is most useful to our team
• On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your overall support for the draft wolf management plan as written? Do whatever you feel comfortable with, but we are encouraging people to give a high score, like a 9 or 10, to the plan to demonstrate support for this science-based approach. 

We have sample responses and talking points in our toolkit for the questions, but if you only have one minute, just do this (comment survey here):

1. One the first screen of the form - answer questions #2 and #3 
2. On second screen of survey: For question #4 - Copy & paste the comments below into the “LIKE” Comment box:
   1. Removing an arbitrary wolf population goal is important to make sure the best-available science is centered in wolf management
   2. The low quota zones are an important and welcome addition to the plan
   3. The plan is rightly focused on the ecological benefits of wolves
3. For question #6 - Rank the plan a 9 or 10
4. Submit! 

Want to help spread the word? 
We know that the DNR will receive a LOT of comments on the plan.  If you want to help encourage other Sierrans, friends and family to comment on the plan as well, join us to spread the word! There are sample social media posts, example emails and more in our toolkit.

On December 15, we’ll be hosting a Volunteer Night. Join us to learn more about the plan and why it matters and help us get the word out! We’ll be writing letters-to-the-editor, phone banking, texting, and more! Click here to RSVP and join us.