The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced it will not move forward with a national recovery plan for gray wolves, stating in a November 3 finding that the species should not remain federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Gray wolves continue to be listed as threatened or endangered across most of the United States. Exceptions include Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, as well as parts of Oregon, Washington, and Utah.
Last month, on October 31, a group of 25 members of Congress sent a letter urging FWS to delist the species. “We urge FWS to reissue the rule delisting the gray wolf under the ESA, and to stand firmly behind the authority of states and tribes to manage recovered species, including through regulated hunting and other proven tools that help reduce human-wildlife conflict while sustaining healthy populations.” the lawmakers wrote.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton.