The administration of President Joe Biden is sticking to the decision made by former President Donald Trump to remove protections for graywolves in most of the U.S. A top federal wildlife official told The Associated Press that there was growing concern about aggressive wolf hunting seasons for predators in the western Great Lakes, Rocky Mountains and the northern Rocky Mountains.
Federal protection has seen a remarkable recovery in some parts of the United States over the past few decades. This is after wolves were driven from the landscape in the early 1900s by trapping and excessive hunting.
In the Northern Rockies, the state took over management of wolves in 2010 and January for the rest of the Lower 48 states including the Great Lakes region and the Pacific Northwest.
The removal of protections had been in the works for years and was the right thing to do when finalized in Trump’s last days, U.S. AP was informed by Gary Frazer, Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director of Ecological Services. On Friday, attorneys for the administration asked a federal judge in California to dismiss a lawsuit from wildlife advocate s that seeks to restore protections, signaling the conclusion of Biden’s promise on his first day in office to review the Trump move.
But wolf management policies in place at the state level have shifted dramatically since protections were lifted, and Frazer suggested the federal government could take steps to restore protections if it sees population declines that put them on the path to extinction.
He said, “Certainly some things we are seeing are concerning.”
After a pro-hunting group that had close ties with conservative Republicans won a court ruling that allowed hunters to kill 218 wolves within four days, Wisconsin quickly moved to decrease its wolf population.
In Idaho and Montana, Republican-dominated legislatures relaxed hunting rules to permit tactics that wildlife managers shunned, such as hunting wolves from the air at night and paying for dead wolves, which is reminiscent of bounties that nearly drove them to extinction.
Frazer stated that the states shared a common approach: legislators and politically appointed wildlife commissioners taking determined steps towards reducing population.
He said, “We are aware of the changes in circumstances and we will be closely watching to see how they respond.”
A lead attorney in a lawsuit seeking to restore protections for Wolfwolves outside the Northern Rockies stated that he was disappointed by the Biden administration’s inaction to respond to states’ requests to cull more packs.
Tim Preso, an environmental lawyer at Earthjustice asked Tim Preso: “Why should I hammer down the population and lose all of the gains that were made before any type of remedial action?” “The signs are on the wall. “The intentions of Montana and Idaho are crystal clear, and Wisconsin stands behind them.”
The state policies reflect a more partisan approach to predator control in the Republican-dominated state houses.
The Midwest’s wolf population has increased to 4,400. In recent years, there has been a growing frustration among hunters and livestock producers over the attacks on big game and cattle. In Wisconsin, a Republican-controlled board set the state’s fall hunt quota at 300 animals, rejecting a 130-animal limit recommended by state wildlife managers.
The Wisconsin Democratic Attorney General is asking for a court order to remove the chairman of the board, who was elected in May. Democratic Governor Tony Evers has appointed a replacement, but the incumbent refuses to resign until the Senate confirms his appointment. The Senate, which is dominated by Republicans has not held a hearing about the appointment.
Trappers and hunters in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming kill hundreds of wolves each year. Wildlife officials say that the population is still strong at more than 3,000 animals. This is because the wolves are able to roam large areas of wilderness in the sparsely populated Northern Rockies and breed so successfully.
Officials in the US are determined to reduce those numbers to stop livestock attacks and protect big game herds from wolves. The supporters of restoring protections claim that the changes will tip them and drive down wolf populations to unsustainable levels. They also fear for packs in neighboring states with interconnected populations.
