Key Takeaways
- The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to remove federal protections for gray wolves nationwide, with 211-204 votes, largely along party lines.
- The bill would delist more than 4,500 wolves in the western Great Lakes region and nearly 2,800 wolves in seven western states from the Endangered Species Act protection.
- Animal rights and environmental groups have opposed the bill, citing concerns about wolf populations and habitat loss.
- The legislation has received support from farming and hunting associations, which point to attacks on pets and livestock.
- The bill’s prospects in the U.S. Senate remain unclear, with some expecting it to pass due to Republican control, while others believe it will be blocked.
Introduction to the Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would remove federal protections for gray wolves nationwide. The bill, cosponsored by U.S. House Rep. Tom Tiffany and 30 other lawmakers, including Wisconsin’s Republican congressional delegation, aims to delist gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act protection. The decision has sparked controversy, with animal rights and environmental groups opposing the move, while farming and hunting associations have expressed support.
Argument for Delisting
Rep. Tom Tiffany argued that the wolf’s status has bounced back and forth between being listed and delisted, and that Wisconsinites know best when it comes to managing Wisconsin’s wolf population. He claimed that pets and livestock in rural areas are being "slaughtered" due to lacking wolf management. Tiffany, a GOP candidate for governor, emphasized the need to empower Wisconsinites to manage the gray wolf population. He also pointed to the state’s wolf hunt, which is mandated by Wisconsin law when federal protections are removed. In 2021, state-licensed hunters killed 218 wolves in less than three days, consuming Ojibwe tribes’ share of the harvest and surpassing a 200-wolf quota.
Opposition to the Bill
Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia opposed the bill, stating that wolves continue to face threats to their survival, including poaching and habitat loss. He argued that the protections of the Endangered Species Act have allowed gray wolf populations to stabilize and regain strength, and that delisting would lead to hunting and trapping that could drive wolves to extinction. Animal rights and environmental groups have also mounted multiple legal challenges over the years to ensure protections for wolves. A survey of over 1,000 Americans found that 78% of respondents support continued protection for gray wolves.
Current Wolf Population and Management
The most recent data from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shows that the state’s wolf population has grown to nearly 1,200 wolves and appears to be stabilizing. Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist, said that the agency’s position is that science shows the wolf population in Wisconsin has biologically recovered. However, some scientists dispute this claim. The agency has updated its wolf plan and harvest regulations, and the state is ready to assume management if and when delisting occurs. Wisconsin has seen 76 confirmed or probable wolf depredations so far this year, according to the DNR’s website, with 40 farms having verified wolf conflicts out of the state’s 58,200 farms.
Prospects in the U.S. Senate
The bill’s prospects in the U.S. Senate remain unclear. With Republicans in control of the Senate and the White House, the bill has better odds of passing. However, Ben Greuel, national wildlife campaign manager for the Sierra Club, expressed confidence that protections will remain for wolves, stating that the group’s champions in the Senate will stand up against the bill. In the past, Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin introduced a bill that would expand the threatened status for Minnesota’s wolves to include Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, although this legislation has not been reintroduced in the current session.
Conclusion
The bill to remove federal protections for gray wolves nationwide has sparked controversy, with animal rights and environmental groups opposing the move, while farming and hunting associations have expressed support. The legislation’s prospects in the U.S. Senate remain unclear, with some expecting it to pass due to Republican control, while others believe it will be blocked. The decision will have significant implications for wolf populations and management in the United States, and it remains to be seen how the bill will fare in the Senate.
