Friday

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday reinstated protections under the federal Endangered Species Act for the gray wolf in Wisconsin and nearby states after a federal judged in December struck down the agency's decision to remove protections.

 The agency's actions apply to Wyoming, as well as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and portions of North and South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. There are substantial populations of wolves in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. The Fish and Wildlife Service removed federal protections for gray wolves in 2012 and turned over management — and decisions on how to control their burgeoning populations — to states.

But for years before the agency's action, wolves have been at the center of a debate about the appropriate level of protection for the animals. In December, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., ruled that the removal by the agency was "arbitrary and capricious" and violates the Endangered Species Act.

Thursday's action by the agency officially reinstates protections for the wolf. The state's wolf hunting season ended before the judge's ruling. The most recent wolf hunting and trapping season ended with 154 wolves registered, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Last week, U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, a Green Bay Republican, introduced legislation that would restore wolves to their former unprotected status.

 "Turning to Congress for a legislative fix fundamentally undermines the Endangered Species Act," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement.
 Source

Responses to "The Gray Wolf is Once Again a Protected Species"

  1. Anonymous says:

    Please Stop killing Our Wolves, This is their Land.I am native american and the wolf means a lot to us all. Please stop. They can Live With Us, So why you can't Live with Them. We Have done it for many of Years.

  2. The Wolf is not the enemy. Money is. Stop letting greed control what belongs to the people. This is a great day for the Wolf, the environment and the future.

  3. Anonymous says:

    "Last week, U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, a Green Bay Republican, introduced legislation that would restore wolves to their former unprotected status. 'Turning to Congress for a legislative fix fundamentally undermines the Endangered Species Act,' said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement.

    If you support the protection of wolf populations, please contact your congressmen/women and ask them to oppose the legislation that would re-remove protections. You can find your representative here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

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