AP NewsBreak: US plans to lift protections for gray wolves

[jasnt]

https://www.khq.com/news/ap-newsbreak-us-plans-to-lift-protections-for-gray-wolves/article_d02f4901-a21b-5dc2-bc26-58b00530c272.html?fbclid=IwAR0atcW2QxPcU9V7wrtLZw1YP2NOp92HfCNX6h-HD5fNQ9HDQD176HizH9I

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials plan to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move certain to re-ignite the legal battle over a predator that's rebounding in some regions and running into conflicts with farmers and ranchers, an official told The Associated Press.

Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was expected to announce the proposal during a Wednesday speech before a wildlife conference in Denver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Spokesman Gavin Shire said in an interview with the AP.

The decision to lift protections is based on gray wolves successfully recovering from widespread extermination last century, Shire said. He said further details would be made public during a formal announcement planned in coming days.

Long despised by farmers and ranchers, wolves were shot, trapped and poisoned out of existence in most of the U.S. by the mid-20th century.

They received endangered species protections in 1975, when there were about 1,000 left, only in northern Minnesota. Now more than 5,000 of the animals live in the contiguous U.S.

Most are in the Western Great Lakes and Northern Rockies regions. Protections for the Northern Rockies population were lifted in 2011 and hundreds are now killed annually by hunters.

State officials say wolves have continued to thrive despite pressure from hunting. The animals are prolific breeders and can adapt to a variety of habitats.

Wildlife advocates want federal protections kept in place until wolves repopulate more of their historic range that once stretched across most of North America.


The Fish and Wildlife Service has argued for years that the gray wolf has recovered in the lower 48 states, despite occupying only a small fraction of the territory it once roamed.

The government first proposed revoking the wolf's protected status across the Lower 48 states in 2013, but backed off after federal courts struck down its plan for "delisting" the species in the western Great Lakes region states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

[pianoman9701]

Great move. Let's see what happens in WA now. I'm betting the disastrous wolf plan stays in place, regardless of any change at the federal level.

[jasnt]

I truly hope your wrong but I dout it. 

[JimmyHoffa]

And the Ninth Circus will block it in 5,4,3,2.....
Probably some whacko group with an official sounding name rushing to their judge.

[pianoman9701]

And the Ninth Circus will block it in 5,4,3,2.....
Probably some whacko group with an official sounding name rushing to their judge.

...using taxpayer money with which to do it.

[Fl0und3rz]

It's a start.

[bearpaw]

Great move. Let's see what happens in WA now. I'm betting the disastrous wolf plan stays in place, regardless of any change at the federal level.

I think you are right.

[pianoman9701]

It's a start.

It's a great start. I'm betting that the wolf lovers at the USFWolfS will do anything they can to undermine this decision. They'll work with and give information to the extremists - anything to keep their precious program from being eliminated. In reality, several of them should be headed for prison for lying to Congress and for continuing to lie to the American people about the health of the wolves and the effect they're having on wildlife populations.

[ELKBURGER]

Great move. Let's see what happens in WA now. I'm betting the disastrous wolf plan stays in place, regardless of any change at the federal level.

I think you are right.

With Inslee and Fergie backing it all the way. Wa is a sanctuary state for illeagal aliens and wolves.

[grundy53]

Great move. Let's see what happens in WA now. I'm betting the disastrous wolf plan stays in place, regardless of any change at the federal level.

I think you are right.

They will still be protected under state law. They are already delisted in the eastern 1/3 of the state. Didn't change anything. They will never be delisted by this state.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[pianoman9701]

I tend to agree.

[buckfvr]

It's a start.

It's a great start. I'm betting that the wolf lovers at the USFWolfS will do anything they can to undermine this decision. They'll work with and give information to the extremists - anything to keep their precious program from being eliminated. In reality, several of them should be headed for prison for lying to Congress and for continuing to lie to the American people about the health of the wolves and the effect they're having on wildlife populations.

Yes...there are way to many individuals and groups making a living (and then some) off the related programs and will continue to fight for their gravy trains.