Gray Wolf To Be Delisted From Endangered Species List

According to the Wildlife Society, the gray wolf, which has been on the endangered species list since the 1960s, is set to be delisted from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in all of the lower 48 states by the end of 2019 fiscal year.

Congressman Collin C. Peterson applauds Interior Acting Secretary David Bernhardt for his efforts to delist the gray wolf, and released the statement below.

“I am pleased to see that Acting Secretary Bernhardt supports state management of wolves. The gray wolf population continues to thrive in Minnesota, and we should be able to delist wolves in our area first because the state has already proven that it can successfully manage the population. This proposal is a step in the right direction to ensure that farmers and ranchers in Minnesota can protect their livestock and pets without fear of punishment.”

Wolves are currently managed at the state level in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, and by the federal government in most other areas. Despite being home to the largest wolf population in the continental U.S., wolves continue to be managed by the federal government in Minnesota. Minnesota successfully managed gray wolves from 2012 until 2014 when a court order relisted wolves in all of the Western Great Lake States.