Federal Government Attempting to Strip Protections from Gray Wolves…Again

WASHINGTON – For the second time in five years, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced a proposal to strip gray wolves of Endangered Species Act protections in the lower-48 states. The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to implement national recovery plans for endangered species until they are no longer in danger of extinction. However, the agency has yet to present a national plan to ensure wolves’ recovery throughout all or a significant portion of their range.

Following is a statement from Dr. Sylvia Fallon, Director for Wildlife at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

“The Fish and Wildlife Service needs to stop chasing its tail and do what is required of them under the law: recover wolves nationally. The return of wolves in the lower 48 is one of the Endangered Species Act’s greatest conservation success stories, but the job is not finished. Removing protections now would shortcut the recovery process and guarantee that wolves never fully recover in the U.S.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC