The U.S. House voted to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list, a move that has sparked debate among lawmakers. The measure now goes to the Senate, but the White House has already stated its opposition to the bill. Hunters and farmers have raised concerns about wolf attacks on game species and livestock, while conservationists argue that the population remains fragile after being hunted nearly to extinction in the 1960s.
In recent years, protections for gray wolves have been removed in certain regions, such as the northern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected requests to restore protections in this region, allowing state-sponsored wolf hunts to continue in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The wolf population in the Rockies region is estimated to be around 3,000 animals, while Alaska has a healthy population of 7,000 to 11,000 wolves. Republicans believe that the wolf population has recovered and that ending protections is a conservation success.
Democrats, on the other hand, argue that wolves still need protection and lifting current protections could lead to their endangerment once again. They warn that hunters may push wolves to near extinction if protections are lifted. Representative Jared Huffman of California emphasized that simply calling the wolves recovered does not make it so, indicating that more help is needed for the species. Representative Cliff Bentz of Oregon described wolves as “natural born killers” and highlighted the challenges faced by farmers and ranchers dealing with wolf attacks on their livestock.
The bill to remove federal protection for gray wolves was approved by a narrow margin of 209-205 in the House. Four Democrats crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill, including representatives from Colorado, Texas, Maine, and Washington state. The future of the bill in the Senate remains uncertain, as the White House has already expressed its opposition. The debate over the future of gray wolves in the lower 48 states continues, with lawmakers divided on the issue of whether the species has truly recovered or still needs protection.
