ST. PAUL — Farmers whose livestock is killed by wolves or whose crops and fences are damaged by elk would see continuing help from the state under a bill debated by a Minnesota House committee during the third week of the legislative session.
The bill proposes an increase of $125,000 to funds that distribute compensation to farmers for damage caused by the wild animals. Individual farmers can receive payments of up to $20,000 per year once damage is proven.
Author Rep. John Burkel, R-Badger, described the bill as “straightforward, farmer-focused,” with the goal of getting farmers more timely payouts after wild animals cause damage.
“This bill doesn’t solve the entire problem,” Burkel said. “But from a financial standpoint, it does provide a meaningful way to target relief.”
Current depredation accounts have exhausted much of their available funding, slowing payments to farmers even once their claims are verified.
Kaitlyn Root, executive director of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, testified in favor of the bill, saying the payment delays shift financial burdens directly onto farm families.
“Minnesota’s cattle producers are committed to being good stewards of the land and coexisting with wildlife,” Root said. “Increasing funding for wolf and elk depredation programs is a common sense step that protects family farms, rural economies and the stability of our food supply.”
In 2025, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture received 185 complaints of wolf depredation, 102 of which were verified. In fiscal year 2025, the department paid nearly $200,000 to farmers for damages caused by wolves.
Of the reports made in 2025, 83% were related to cattle.
“The value of cattle is the one bright spot in the agricultural economy right now,” said Stu Lourey, government relations director for Minnesota Farmers Union. “So that reflects a really significant loss, particularly at this moment, and also creates pressure on the program.”
Wolves have been prevalent in northern and eastern Minnesota for decades, but they’ve gradually expanded into the central part of the state as well.
Wolf numbers have climbed to about 2,900, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ latest study in 2023, causing more conflicts with domesticated animals.
A 2025 Minnesota Department of Agriculture report found damage to crops and property from elk has also risen significantly, while resources to compensate farmers have not kept up.
Legislators raised concerns about how claims of damage could be verified.
Only three parties are eligible to verify wolf depredation claims: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wildlife service staff and in some situations, county sheriff’s departments.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and wildlife services staff evaluate possible elk damage.
Action on the bill was postponed, but it’s likely to resurface as a part of other agriculture legislation later in the session. Minority Leader Sen. Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, is carrying a similar bill through the Senate.
“Farmers should not be left to carry the full financial burden of wildlife,” Burkel said. “It belongs to all of us.”
Report for Minnesota is a project of the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication to support local news across the state.
