A Department of Natural Resources proposal to modify payments for gray wolf depredations in Wisconsin took a step forward last week.
The Natural Resources Board on July 23 approved a scope statement and preliminary public hearing for the emergency rule which, if enacted, would allow the DNR to delay wolf depredation payments until the end of the fiscal year, or June 30, 2027.
In addition, it would likely establish terms to prorate, or reduce, the amount of compensation paid depending on the amount of funding available in the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation.
The potential rule is due to a years-long structural deficit in the DNR’s Fish and Wildlife Account and a lack of dedicated appropriations in the NHC budget.
The Fish and Wildlife Account, which covers wildlife, fisheries, law enforcement and threatened and endangered species programs, is heavily reliant on revenue from sales of fishing and hunting licenses. Since the price of nearly all resident licenses have been stagnant since 2005 and costs have increased substantially, the account had a structural deficit estimated at $16.5 million in 2025, according to the DNR.
Although the DNR has made substantial budget reductions, including fiscal year 2027 cuts of $3.1 million in fisheries, $1.5 in wildlife, $900,000 in parks and $873,000 in Natural Heritage Conservation, additional changes may be necessary.
Payments for wolf depredation to livestock, hunting dogs and pets are directed by state statute.
When the wolf is under state management authority and a wolf hunting and trapping season is held, the payments come from wolf hunting and trapping license and application fees. When the wolf is under protections of the federal Endangered Species Act as it has been since Feb. 2022, payments for wolf depredations are made from the NHC budget.
The NHC includes programs for Natural Heritage Inventory, endangered and threatened resources and state natural areas management.
But there is no specific legislative appropriation to this program to cover the wolf compensation payments, meaning the cost of wolf depredation claims directly impacts funding for the other bureau’s other work, according to the DNR.
Based on budget projections for the bureau’s accounts and wolf damage cost projections, there may be insufficient funds in fiscal year 2027, said Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist.
“As we’ve closed the books on wolf compensation payments for Fiscal Year 2026, there is increased uncertainty going into Fiscal Year 2027 about the DNR’s ability to fully cover all (wolf) compensation claims in the year ahead,” Johnson wrote in a July 8 email to members of the DNR’s Wolf Advisory Committee.
As a result the DNR is pursuing the emergency rule.
As occurs in most scope statements and rule developments required by the Legislature, the proposal is vague at this early stage.
But it may set limits on the maximum amount each claimant may receive, establish a system for prioritizing claims according to type and authorize the proration of payments when claims are expected to exceed available funds, according to DNR information.
Other alternatives could include continuing to pay wolf depredation claims on a first-come-first-serve basis until all the funds are depleted. However, this approach could potentially leave individuals who experience wolf depredations later in the fiscal year without any compensation.
The payments are primarily made to livestock producers and bear hunters who have animals killed by wolves in the state.
In most cases, compensation has been paid 45-60 days after the depredation is verified, according to the DNR.
The state paid $200,864 in compensation for animals killed or injured in 2025 conflicts with wolves, down from $322,970 in 2024 and up from $171,185 in 2023 and $100,129 in 2022. The average paid out from 2020-24 was $203,604.
Through July 24, 2026, the DNR listed 28 confirmed or probable wolf depredations in Wisconsin, down slightly from the same time in 2025 (32 instances) and 2024 (34).
In addition to the depredation payments, the NHC also funds investigations into potential wolf conflicts conducted by the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service, or APHPIS.
The NHC budget for FY 2027 is $8.4 million. Gifts and donations make up about two-thirds of the bureau’s budget and it only receives about $500,000 in general purpose revenue, or state tax dollars, according to Eric Lobner, administrator for DNR’s Division of Fish, Parks and Wildlife.
In an effort to address the issues prompting the proposal, the DNR said it would continue to explore additional funding sources including federal grant money and state funding requests through the upcoming state biennial budget process.
Claimants will be notified individually of the need to hold payments, according to the DNR.
The preliminary public hearing on the scope statement is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 30. It will be held virtually via Teams.
Wolf monitoring report still not published: Although the DNR released much information from its 2026 Wolf Monitoring Report at the June 25 meeting of the state’s Wolf Advisory Committee, as of July 24 the report had not been released to the public.
Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist, said the delay was related to new accessibility requirements for government documents.
He expected it would be posted on the DNR’s website in the near future.
At the June 25 meeting, the DNR announced its most recent estimate of Wisconsin’s wolf population. The DNR estimated the state had 1,162 gray wolves in 321 packs in late winter 2026, a 5% year-over-year decline and 3% below the 5-year average.
Similar to its assessment the previous year, DNR scientists said the data suggest the state’s wolf population has reached its biological carrying capacity.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Proposal advances for changes to DNR wolf depredation payments
Reporting by Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
