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Gray wolf bill gains traction as farmers rally for state management and livestock protection

Farmers across the Upper Midwest are encouraging U.S. senators to pass legislation this week that would bring management of grey wolves back to states.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Tyler Wenzlaff tells Brownfield, “We’re inches from the finish line here, and it’s something that we’ve been working on for nearly three decades.”

He says lawmakers are expected to vote on the Pet and Livestock Protection Act this week, which the House passed in December with bipartisan support.

“Removing them from the endangered species list and putting that back in state management allows the farmer to intervene when there’s an attack at this point, but also gives them the peace of mind that there is going to be state management,” he explains.

Wenzlaff says he hopes concerns about the reintroduction in Colorado and local states of emergency in northern California in place because of grey wolf attacks will help increase support for the legislation.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has recently proposed an emergency rule to delay wolf depredation payments until the end of the fiscal year because of limited funding. The state paid more than $200,000 to pet and livestock owners because of attacks in 2025, and nearly $800,000 over the past five years.