LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- State management of wolf populations in Michigan has been put into effect after the animals in the western Great Lakes region were removed from the federal endangered species list.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials say state management affords options when wolves prey on livestock or dogs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's delisting of wolves in the western Great Lakes region, which includes Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, became official Friday. Management authority in Michigan has been officially returned to the state DNR.
Wolves remain a protected, nongame species in Michigan, but officials now have greater flexibility to allow lethal means to remove problem wolves. Residents also can legally protect livestock and dogs from an attacking wolf.
An estimated 687 wolves live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.