The Biden administration is now considering that wolves may need to be returned to federal protection. This after a lawsuit was rejected by the Biden administration earlier in the year. Which backing the Trump administrations decision to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The Why?
The cause of this reconsideration comes from “increase human-caused mortality in Idaho and Montana may pose a threat to wolves in those two states,” according to Outdoorlife.
Wisconsin’s wolf hunts have also been under mass scrutiny. Along with recent changes to the wolf hunting regulations in both Idaho and Montana for things like hunting at night, neck snares, or pursuing wolves with hounds. These changes caused the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to warrant a year-long review of wolf populations.
This “Year-long review” was not gone into detail on what it might entail, but could ultimately lead to wolves being relisted under the ESA. Dozens of American Indian tribes have also asked for emergency protection of wolves said the Associated Press. Many of these tribes consider wolves to be sacred.
As of now the year-long review by the USFWS will not affect the wolf hunting season in Montana or Idaho.
“The question for USFWS is whether the wolf is at risk of extinction. It’s not, if it ever is, we will support the use of the ESA,” says Tony Shoonen, CEO of Boone and Crockett Club. The population of wolves is well above the minimum recover number to delist them under the ESA. But other restrictions on State-run wolf management may be another outcome.
Reasons A Species May Be Listed As Endangered Or Threatened
There are five factors evaluated for a Species to be listed as endangered or threatened. These factors noted by the USFWS are
- Five Factors:
- (a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range (Factor A);
- (b) Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes (Factor B);
- (c) Disease or predation (Factor C);
- (d) The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms (Factor D); and
- (e) Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence (Factor E).
- (a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range (Factor A);
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