Animal welfare advocates in Wisconsin recently filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the state’s new wolf management plan, accusing wildlife officials of violating open meetings laws and disregarding comments from researchers and supporters. The lawsuit was dismissed by Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke, who ruled in favor of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and its board. The Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance, also known as Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife, filed the lawsuit, alleging that board members collected comments from favored interest groups after the public comment period ended.
The lawsuit centered around three private discussions attended by board members, hosted by various wildlife organizations. The plaintiffs claimed that even though a quorum of board members did not attend these meetings, enough participation occurred to influence changes to the wolf management plan in violation of the state’s open meetings law. However, Judge Ehlke ruled that the law did not apply in this case due to the lack of a sufficient number of board members present to constitute a meeting. He also rejected claims of due process and administrative procedure violations, as well as arguments that the plaintiffs’ comments were ignored during the formation of the plan.
Farmers in northern Wisconsin have long complained about the increasing wolf population preying on their livestock, while hunters argue that wolves are devastating the deer population in the northern parts of the state. Conservationists maintain that wolves still need protection in Wisconsin and point to the need to manage the species responsibly. The DNR’s board adopted the wolf management plan in October, recommending maintaining the statewide population at about 1,000 wolves without setting a hard limit. This approach allows for flexibility in managing wolf populations and aims to ensure their abundance for years to come.
Hunting advocates support setting a population limit to protect both wolves and humans, while conservation groups oppose certain provisions related to how the DNR would respond to different population ranges in the state. Last year, a federal judge placed gray wolves in the lower 48 states back on the endangered species list, making hunting illegal and limiting farmers to nonlethal control methods. The DNR updated its management plan in anticipation of wolves being removed from the list and hunting resuming. However, a bill passed by the U.S. House to remove wolves from the endangered species list is likely to face opposition from the Biden administration.
Despite the challenges and debates surrounding wolf management in Wisconsin, efforts to balance the needs of various stakeholders continue. The decision by Judge Ehlke to dismiss the lawsuit highlights the complexities of wildlife management and the importance of ensuring transparency and public participation in decision-making processes. The ongoing discussions and disagreements regarding wolf populations in the state underscore the need for thoughtful and collaborative approaches to conserving and managing these important carnivores. As the debate over wolf management in Wisconsin continues, finding common ground among competing interests remains a key challenge for policymakers and stakeholders alike.
