Wolves move into 12-month status review

Wolves move into 12-month status review
September 19th, 2021 | Public Lands Council

This last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced their findings related to two petitions filed by activist groups that sought to restore Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves in the western United States – the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (NRM DPS). 


After review of these petitions, the FWS found that while there is not sufficient information to justify an emergency listing of the NRM DPS, there is sufficient information to trigger a 12-month status review of the species’ recovery status. This determination is based at least in part, on the use of hunting seasons in several western states that have been used as a population control tool. 

It is important to note that the previously-designated NRM DPS is not part of the ongoing litigation in the Northern District of California that has challenged the FWS’s delisting of gray wolves in the lower-48 states, since the NRM DPS was delisted independently. It is, however, likely to be discussed concurrently as these same activist groups have urged the FWS to create a new DPS to include wolves from the recovered NRM DPS into a new DPS that includes wolves from the Pacific Northwest as part of their strategy to make it more difficult for the USFWS to defend their delisting rules.

While PLC is disappointed to see the Service take this step, we will continue to defend gray wolf delisting in this case and in all others where the wolf is clearly recovered.

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