WFBF Statement on Bill to Return Wolf Management to States

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Brad Olson released the following statement today after the Senate objected to Senator Johnson's unanimous consent request for passage of S. 1306, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act.

"Wisconsin Farm Bureau appreciates the leadership of Sen. Ron Johnson in working to return gray wolf management to the states. Gray wolves are one of the greatest success stories under the Endangered Species Act. Their recovery is well documented by decades of scientific data, and it is time for state wildlife professionals, not federal courts, to manage a recovered population.

For Wisconsin farmers, this debate is not about politics or ideology. It is about following data to make sound management decisions. Farm families are expected to rely on science to raise their crops. It's time we do the same when managing our wildlife and the science is clear: gray wolves have recovered.

Multiple presidential administrations, Republican and Democrat, have recognized that fact and sought to return management authority to the states. Yet Congress and judges continue to put feelings over the science of sound wildlife management. The consequences of continued prioritization of feelings over science are becoming increasingly clear.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently declared an emergency after funds available to compensate livestock producers for wolf depredation were exhausted. As a result, farmers who have lost livestock to wolves now face delays in receiving compensation, while hunters and pet owners affected by wolf attacks are also left waiting for reimbursement.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau will continue to fight for science taking precedence over feelings because the status quo is unacceptable."