Legal Status

ESA Classification for wolves in Minnesota: Threatened

In 1974, wolves in the lower 48 United States were listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. This listing afforded complete protection to wolves in Minnesota, and prevented the state from managing wolves in any way that caused harm or death.

In 1978, Minnesota's wolves were reclassified from endangered to threatened (a less protected status), because of the state's high population of wolves compared to other states, and the need to control wolves causing damage to livestock. The law still prohibited killing of wolves except in cases where agricultural damage occurred.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that administers the Endangered Species Act of 1973, adopted a recovery plan for the Eastern Timber Wolf in 1978, and revised the plan in 1992. The purpose of the recovery plan was to increase wolf numbers and range to assure survival of the wolf in the eastern half of the US.

The recovery plan set a population goal for Minnesota of 1,251 to 1,400 wolves by the year 2000. The goal was likely achieved sometime in the early 1980's, and was confirmed by a wolf population survey in 1989 that estimated the statewide population at between 1,550 and 1,750.

The recovery plan also set a combined population for Wisconsin and Michigan of 100 wolves, which was first achieved and confirmed in 1994, and that population must stay above 100 for at least five years (1999). All recovery goals were accomplished by 1999.

On March 12, 2007, Minnesota's wolf population was removed from the federal endangered species list. Wolves were managed under State Statute, Rule and by the Minnesota wolf management plan.

On September 29, 2008, after 18 months of state wolf management, a federal district court ruling placed wolves back on the endangered species list.

May 4, 2009 - In order to comply with the federal court ruling, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service submitted another federal rule in April 2009 to delist wolves in the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment. Wolves in Minnesota were removed from the federal endangered species list and returned management authority to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

July 1, 2009 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to a settlement that reversed the decision to delist gray wolves, returning Minnesota’s wolves to the "threatened" classification under the federal Endangered Species Act.