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Battle to get wolves off Endangered Species List re-starts

A Wisconsin Congressman is again trying to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List.

Seventh District Republican Tom Tiffany tells Brownfield he introduced the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which is almost identical to the Trust the Science Act from last session. “The reason it’s so important is we could get it in statute and it does not allow for judicial review, so some coastal judge who doesn’t know much about wildlife can’t stop wolf management in the states.”

Tiffany says while the wolves have been protected and not managed by the states, more wolf problems have been reported by farmers and families. “We’re seeing pets and livestock being devoured. Three years in a row, we’ve seen more pet and other animal depredations. They continue to rise, and in fact, we’ve seen three wolf-human interactions in the last year.”

The gray wolf was delisted in 2012 and again in 2021, but placed back on the Endangered Species List both times by a judge.

Tiffany says the bipartisan bill passed the House last session but died in the Senate.  He’s optimistic this bill can get through the Senate this time.

The effort to delist the gray wolf has the support of thirty Members of Congress and several ag and wildlife groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Hunter Nation, International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Blacktail Deer Foundation, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Wool Growers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association.