Court Decision Reverses Federal
Attempt to Reduce Protected Status of Wolves
A recent decision by the federal district court in Oregon was heralded as a major victory by all who fought to retain full protection for wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 21 Midwestern and Eastern states. According to the decision, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) inappropriately "downlisted" wolves in 2003 from their status as endangered species to the less-protected threatened category across nearly half the continent from Kansas to Maine.
Wolves have recovered in three Western Great Lakes states (MI, MN, and WI) since they were protected by the ESA thirty years ago. But there are no breeding wolves in the Adirondacks, or in most of the other states included in the downlisting, prompting the court to rule that the FWS failed to provide adequate protection for the animals in significant portions of their native range. Click here to view a complete version of the court's Order and Opinion, which is also summarized in a press release from the Defenders of Wildlife, who led a coalition of groups that brought the case against the government.
Last fall, the Association wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, followed by a press statement objecting to a 2004 proposal by FWS to completely remove wolves in the East from the list of endangered and threatened species. It appears as though the recent court decision will force the government to retract its ill-founded delisting proposal, as well as return the wolf to its endangered status, thereby setting the stage for a more reasoned approach to wolf protection and possible restoration in the Northeast. We consider this a great victory for conservation and our thanks go out to all who worked to prevent the government from abandoning decades of wolf protection in the East and from making a mockery of the Endangered Species Act.
Mike DiNunzio, Director of Special Projects
February 11, 2005