Minnesota Lawmakers Seek More Federal Money for Wolf Control

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ A federal program that helps Minnesota farmers and ranchers who lose livestock to wolves has run out of money for the year.

So members of Minnesota's congressional delegation Wednesday urged U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to find the money to allow wolf depredation services to continue. They cite Minnesota's growing wolf population, which rose to an estimated 2,900 last winter, an increase of 25 percent in one year.

Signing the letter were Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, and Reps. Collin Peterson, Rick Nolan, Tom Emmer and Tim Walz.

The program provides trapping and other help for farmers and ranchers facing problem wolves, which remain on the endangered list.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture this week made $120,000 in grants available to help producers prevent wolf attacks by nonlethal means.