Federal Gray Wolf Public Information Meetings And Hearing Set For Minnesota

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has scheduled two public information meetings in Minnesota to provide information on a federal proposal to reclassify most gray wolves in the Great Lakes area from "endangered" status under the Endangered Species Act to the less protective "threatened" status. A public hearing in Minnesota has also been scheduled to capture comments on the proposal.

These public meetings and hearing follow a national announcement made on July 11, 2000, which addressed the reclassification and delisting of gray wolves across the lower 48 states. Under the proposal, wolves in Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin would be reclassified from endangered to threatened, joining Minnesota wolves in that status.

An open house format will be used at both meetings, including a slide presentation beginning every half hour. Service staff members will be available to answer questions and discuss the proposal. Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Native American tribes have also been invited to attend.

Public Information Meetings

St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 7, 2000, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Upper Lobby of the Earl Brown Center, 1890 Buford Avenue, on the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus.

Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on August 8, 2000, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Sawmill Inn, 2301 S. Pokegama (State Route 169).

Public Hearing

Duluth, Minnesota, on October 18, 2000, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 175 of the Life Sciences Building, Oakland Avenue, on the University of Minnesota Duluth Campus.

For more information on the gray wolf reclassification proposal, see the Services gray wolf web site at http://midwest.fws.gov/wolf