The Farm Bureau is asking the state for help with the wolf delisting lawsuit.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had removed the gray wolf from the Federal Endangered Species List, but animal rights groups are suing to put the wolf back on the list. Now, Paul Ketring with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says they are asking Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for help in a lawsuit to uphold the decision to delist.
Van Hollen says his department hasn't yet had time to weigh the options on whether it would be wise to get involved in this case. "We would usually only get involved in a suit if we believe it's a wise use of the Wisconsin taxpayer dollars. Regardless of the legal implications, if we believe the federal government, with their resources, can defend it adequately, we're better off spending our resources on other things such as victims or other crimes."
Ketring says the state DNR's wolf management plan aims to keep the wolf population between 300 and 500 animals. The success of the program has brought the current wolf population to around 600.
As the wolf population has grown, so has the number of incidents involving pets and livestock. The goal is to find a balance between the wolf population and farmers.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:29 MP3)
