House Votes to Strip Endangered Species Act Protections for Gray Wolves Across the U.S.

WASHINGTON D.C. — In its first scheduled vote of the lame duck session, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation today that would strip Endangered Species Act protections for imperiled gray wolves across the continental United States and prohibit judicial review of those delisting decisions. The so-called “Manage our Wolves Act” (H.R. 6784) threatens to reverse years of recovery efforts for this iconic species, while undermining science and taking away citizens right to enforce the law. While gray wolves have successfully returned in some parts of the U.S., continued protection under the Endangered Species Act will be critical to their full recovery nationwide.

The following is a statement from Nora Apter, Legislative Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“In case Congress needs reminding, we are in the middle of a global mass extinction crisis. The last thing our government should be doing is undermining our most effective law for protecting our most imperiled wildlife—and that’s exactly what this bill would do. The Endangered Species Act has seen such incredible success because it relies on science—not politics—in its decision-making and ensures citizens the right to enforce the law. H.R. 6784 undermines those key traits, threatening the integrity of the Endangered Species Act as a whole. The Senate must protect this vital law for species conservation, by rejecting this extreme proposal.”

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