Make Minnesota's Gray Wolf the Official State Mammal

Official state symbols represent the cultural values and natural treasures of each individual state. We've chosen a bird, a flower, a drink, etc... that is characteristic of Minnesota but we've never picked a mammal. It isn't for lack of trying. There have been numerous attempts to designate various wildlife as our state animal/mammal in the past.

Attempts to designate the Eastern Gray Wolf as the state mammal:
1969, 1973, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2000

In 2000, Minnesota school children voted on whether to make the wolf, white-tailed deer, or gopher the state mammal and the majority chose the gray wolf.

Attempts to designate the American Black Bear as the state mammal:
2011, 2012

Attempts to designate the White-Tailed Deer as the state mammal:
1971, 1973, 1977, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989

Attempts to designate the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel as the state mammal:
1973, 1977

There was even a citizen proposal to make the wood tick the official state animal in 1973.

But out of all the animals considered for this honor over the years the one that truly deserves the designation is the gray wolf. This is a belief shared by all of the Minnesotans that worked to make it happen in the past, including the schoolchildren that picked the wolf above the others.

The reasons the gray wolf should be our state mammal are numerous. Most notable are the following:

Prior to recovery, northeastern Minnesota was the last remaining place where gray wolves existed in the lower 48 states and as they began to recover they expanded their range to include Wisconsin and Michigan, becoming what is now known as the Great Lakes Wolves or Great Lakes Wolf Region.

Gray wolves are sacred to Minnesota's indigenous people, the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). They see the wolf as having a fate intertwined with their own. The wolf plays a significant role in the Anishinaabe creation story. The wolf was a teacher and also seen as a brother to original man. The wolf for the Anishinaabe is a relative, one they will always respect and protect.

To most Minnesotans the wolf symbolizes the spirit of wilderness and nearly 80% surveyed said they want to protect the wolf for future generations. There is no other animal in Minnesota that has garnered such widespread support.

Gray wolves are at the forefront of ecotourism in our state. Wolf related activities generate huge economic benefits in northeastern Minnesota. Countless tourists visit the International Wolf Center and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness every year in order to get a glimpse of a wolf.

There have been many books written and even a documentary made about Minnesota gray wolves. Aside from how people feel about them and what they do for our economy they are an extremely important species because they play a vital role in keeping ecosystems healthy by managing the wildlife in our northern forests.

If any mammal deserves to be designated the official state symbol of Minnesota it is the gray wolf.

If you agree, please sign the petition today! OFFICIAL STATE MAMMAL PETITION

Thank you,
Michelle Valadez