By Debbie Munson Badini
Michigan’s Wolf Management Advisory Council will meet from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Little Bear Arena, 275 Marquette St., St. Ignace.
The Wolf Management Advisory Council (previously known as the Wolf Forum) was codified under a law passed by the Legislature in December that reclassified wolves as a game species and directed the WMAC to report its recommendations on wolf management annually to the Legislature and the Natural Resources Commission.
The NRC has the authority to determine whether public harvest of wolves should be allowed and to regulate season structure and method of harvest.
The WMAC includes members from a diverse group of organizations with an interest in wolves and wolf management, including hunting, conservation, tribal government, agriculture and animal advocacy.
Staff from the Department of Natural Resources’ wildlife division will gather input from council members about future wolf management activities, including the use of hunting to manage and resolve conflict issues at the Feb. 19 meeting. The 2008 Wolf Management Plan will serve as the guide for these discussions.
Members of the public are welcome to observe the council’s discussions and will have the opportunity to provide written comments at the meeting. The DNR will also be the host for a series of public meetings around the state in March to provide information on wolf management and receive public input about the public harvest of wolves. Dates and locations of those meetings will be publicized once determined.
Contact the council’s DNR liaison Adam Bump at (517) 373-1263 for more information about the WMAC meeting.
Visit www.michigan.gov/wolves to learn more about Michigan’s wolf population and Wolf Management Plan.