WGF Releases Comments on Draft Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan

In November 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) released a Draft Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan. When finalized, the Plan is intended to update Wisconsin’s current Wolf Management Plan which was approved in 1997. The Plan reflects a wide variety of inputs, including recommendations from a Wolf Management Plan Committee the Department convened in 2021, consisting of Wisconsin organizations, individuals, tribes, and agencies who provided input for each element of the Plan. Wisconsin’s Green Fire was represented on this Committee and has provided input on the Plan throughout the entire development process.

The public comment period on the Plan is open until February 28th, 2023 at 11:59pm. WGF’s Wildlife Work Group members have collectively developed recommendations for the Plan, summarized in WGF’s newest Conservation Bulletin here. The recommendations include aspects of the plan which Wisconsin’s Green Fire strongly supports, some issues of concern, and specific recommendations requiring policy, executive action, and/or budget changes. You can view the work group’s full comments to the WDNR here. The recommendations outlined in this summary reflect the combined opinions and contributions of WGF’s Wildlife Work Group members who hold years of experience in Wisconsin wildlife management and biology. 

We encourage anyone interested in the management and conservation of Wisconsin’s wolves to submit comments on the Plan by February 23rd by visiting WDNR’s website here. The WDNR is also holding a virtual listening session on Tuesday, February 7th at 4pm. For those interested in providing an oral comment, you must register by noon on February 6th here.

For further context, please also view WGF’s two reports analyzing wolf management in Wisconsin: Opportunities Now 2.0: Creating a Shared Vision for Wolves in Wisconsin, and The 2021 Wisconsin Wolf Hunt: A Preliminary Assessment .These reports were authored by experts in wildlife biology and management, and we are thankful to the Department for incorporating many policy recommendations outlined in these reports into the 2022 Plan. 

For questions please contact Fred Clark at fclark@wigreenfire.org.

Updated January 30, 2023.