VICTORY! Restoring Gray Wolf Protections Nationwide
Wolves belong. They were here for millennia before settlers nearly succeeded in eradicating them from the so-called “New World.” Always survivors, wolves held on, narrowly staving off extinction and embarking on a long and difficult journey toward recovery. In some parts of the country, wolves are reproducing successfully and contributing to healthy ecosystems in many ways. In the West, however, the scientific consensus says wolves are far from recovered.
The most recent data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its state partners show an estimated 4,400 wolves inhabit the western Great Lakes states, but only 108 wolves exist in Washington state, 158 in Oregon, and a scant 15 in California. Nevada, Utah, and Colorado have had a few wolf sightings over the past three years, but wolves remain functionally extirpated in these states.
That didn’t stop the Trump administration from prematurely stripping wolves of endangered species protections throughout the contiguous 48 states, however. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is saying through its actions that it does not matter that wolves in the West are not yet recovered because in its belief there are sufficient wolves in the Great Lakes states. The Endangered Species Act demands more, including restoring the species in the ample suitable habitats afforded by the wild public lands throughout the West.
In February 2022, we handily won our case to restore Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in most states. This will aid in wolves’ recovery in western states, where they are absent across vast swaths of their historical, wild, public lands habitat.
Wolves are a keystone species whose presence on landscapes regulates animal populations and improves ecosystem health. Allowing people to kill wolves in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana has already stunted recovery in those states, and protections must be restored there as well.
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Project Updates
BLOCKBUSTER: Judge restores gray wolf protections, reviving federal recovery efforts
Today, a federal court restored Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf after they were eliminated by the Trump administration in 2020. The ruling orders the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to resume recovery efforts for the imperiled species. Today’s...
Western wolf coalition challenges nationwide wolf delisting
Today, a coalition of Western wolf advocates challenged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to prematurely strip wolves of federal protections in the contiguous 48 states, in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The most recent data from the U.S. Fish...
Wolf coalition launches challenge to nationwide wolf delisting
On Friday, Nov. 6, a coalition of Western wolf advocates filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, launching a challenge of the agency’s decision to prematurely strip wolves of federal protections in the contiguous 48 states, in violation of...
Wolves: Groups will challenge Trump admin removal of endangered species protections in lower 48
Today, the Trump administration will announce its decision to prematurely remove endangered species protections for wolves in the lower 48 states, in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The most recent data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its...
Trump admin announces intent to strip wolves of endangered species protections in lower 48
Today, acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced the Trump administration’s intent to remove endangered species protections for wolves in the lower 48 states. The administration will release the proposal to the public in the next few days. While we’re loath...
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