US House passes bill to remove federal protections for wolves

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would remove federal protections for gray wolves nationwide.

U.S. House Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, cosponsored the bill this year with Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and 30 other lawmakers, including Wisconsin’s Republican congressional delegation. The bill passed 211-204, largely along party lines.

The most recent data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows the plan would remove Endangered Species Act protection from more than 4,500 wolves in the western Great Lakes region, as well as nearly 2,800 wolves in seven western states.

The legislation would also bar courts from reviewing the decision. Animal rights and environmental groups have mounted multiple legal challenges over the years to ensure protections for wolves. On the House floor, Tiffany said the wolf’s status has bounced back and forth between being listed and delisted.

“Wisconsinites know best when it comes to managing Wisconsin’s wolf population, and it’s long past time we empowered Wisconsinites to be able to manage the gray wolf population,” Tiffany said.

https://www.wpr.org/news/us-house-passes-bill-remove-federal-protections-wolves