In Minnesota, the wolf qualifies for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1973, set up regulation to help prevent pressured plant and animal species from becoming extinct. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service are the primary enforcers of the law. Under the act, the FWS keeps a list of endangered species. As of 2011, Minnesota had 17 endangered species listed.
Mammals
The two mammals listed as endangered species in Minnesota are the Canada lynx and the gray wolf. Both species inhabit the northern forests. In 1974, the gray wolf received protection under the Endangered Species Act. At the time, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimated the population between 500 and 1,000. By 2008, the population grew to 2,992. The population of lynx is much lower. Through 2006, the Minnesota DNR reported only 65 verified sightings.
Birds
The FWS lists two birds as endangered in Minnesota. They are the piping plover and sprague's pipit. The plover inhabits sandy beaches and islands, while the pipit's primary habitat includes more than 350 acres of native grasslands. It also uses non-native grasslands. As of 2011, the pipit had yet to complete the full process to receive complete protection.
Reptiles
As of 2011, the only reptile listed under the Endangered Species Act in Minnesota is the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake. It inhabits the flood plains and tributaries of the Mississippi River in the southeastern corner of the state. It remains in candidate status as of 2011.
Fish and Mussels
The Topeka shiner, a small minnow, inhabits prairie rivers and streams. Its population has declined by 70 percent at collection sites during the last 50 or 60 years. The FWS blames habitat destruction, sediment and the human introduction of predatory sport fish, such as the largemouth bass, for the decline. Endangered mussels include the Higgins eye pearlymussel and the winged mapleleaf. Proposed mussels include the spectaclecase, the snuffbox and the sheepnose.
Plants
The FWS's list of endangered species includes four plants in Minnesota. The Minnesota dwarf trout lily grows on north-facing slopes in deciduous forests. Leedy's roseroot inhabits cool, wet groundwater-fed limestone cliffs. The prairie bush clover requires well-drained soil and native prairie. The western prairie fringed orchid grows in wet soil and sedge meadows in the southwestern part of the state.
Tags: Endangered Species, under Endangered, under Endangered Species, endangered species, gray wolf