Feds appeal to lift gray wolf protections in lower 48 states

The Biden administration is appealing a 2022 district court ruling that reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across most of the United States. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) aims to restore a Trump-era rule that removed these protections, arguing that the Endangered Species Act's primary goal is to prevent extinction rather than to restore species to their historical ranges. The appeal, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, contends that the district court misinterpreted the Act. The district court's decision maintained the gray wolf's status as a threatened species in Minnesota and an endangered species in 44 other states. If the appeal is successful, state and tribal wildlife management agencies would regain control over gray wolf management, a responsibility they have largely handled in Washington state since 2011. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has been facilitating wolf recovery for over a decade and is prepared to manage the species statewide. Opposition to the appeal comes from conservation groups that argue that removing federal protections could jeopardize the recovery of gray wolves, which have made significant progress in recent years. The Endangered Species Coalition has expressed concern that the appeal would strip essential conservation tools from the species. Livestock groups, however, support the removal of protections, citing concerns over wolf attacks on cattle and other farm animals. The government claims that the gray wolf's recovery is one of the Endangered Species Act's success stories, with thriving populations in the continental U.S. and connections to larger populations in Canada. The outcome of the appeal could have significant implications for the future management and conservation of gray wolves in the lower 48 states.