Two Republican house members introduced bill Friday that would take grey wolves off the endangered species list, citing a significant population rebound that puts livestock, pets and humans alike in danger.
Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert and Republican Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany introduced the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which would direct the secretary of the interior to reinstate a 2020 final rule that removed the predator from the list in the lower 48 states, sending population management back to the state governments. At the time of the original rule’s implementation in 2020, the grey wolf population was over 6,000, which exceeded recovery goals, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.
However, the rule was struck down in 44 of the lower 48 states in 2022 by a federal judge in California. The new law would be immune to judicial review, preventing “activist” judges from preventing the implementation of the law, according to a press release.
“Scientific data, coupled with the rise in wolf attacks in Wisconsin, confirms that the gray wolf population has exceeded recovery goals,” Tiffany said in the press release. “Yet, activist judges continue to disregard these facts, leaving livestock, pets, wildlife, and communities vulnerable to further harm. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore management to those who understand local needs best – state wildlife officials – and ensure that out-of-state judges can no longer dictate how Wisconsin manages its wolf population.”
Moreover, wolf attacks on livestock increased in Wisconsin for the third consecutive year, according to Department of Natural Resources data. The bill has 30 co-sponsors and has backing from various hunter and gun advocacy organizations, including the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Safari Club International, according to the press release.
“Gray wolves are threatening the livelihoods of our ranchers and farmers with attacks on livestock because our agriculture community has their hands tied by out-of-date policies and progressive legal activism,” Boebert said in the press release. “This bill enacts a common-sense solution shared by administrations of both parties and prioritizes the strength of our agriculture community over predators.”
Colorado began reintroducing wolves into the wild in 2023 after voters passed a ballot initiative in 2020 by a narrow margin. With the increased wolf population came increased reports of attacks on livestock, according to the Colorado Sun.
Ranchers in the state have been hiring “range riders” to protect livestock amid increased predation from the exploding wolf population, the Coloradoan reported earlier this week..
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