Local wolf activists spoke to a group of people this week at the Bemidji Public Library about the possible removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list.

If the proposal to de-list the gray wolf from the threatened and endangered species list passes, recreational hunting and trapping of wolves will become legal again.

Barry Babcock spoke about the overview of the history of the gray wolf in Minnesota and gave a summary of where Minnesota stands legislatively of a possible hunt once the wolf is removed from the endangered species list. He says wolves have a place to seek refuge in the wilderness in the state.

“Minnesota has always been a wolf killing state even though we’ve had them,” Babcock said. “The only reason we still have wolves is because we have these vast regions of public lands, we have the second largest state forest system in the country, nearly four million acres of national forests.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a public hearing on the proposal to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list on June 25 at the Franklin Arts Center Auditorium in Brainerd at 5 p.m.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter