Trump's plan to take wolves off the endangered species list is deeply flawed

Trump’s plan to take wolves off the endangered species list is deeply flawed
Scientists who study gray wolves think it’s too soon to claim victory in their recovery.
By Lindsey Botts Updated Jul 16, 2019, 1:57pm EDT


With the public comment period now closed on the Interior Department’s proposal to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list, gray wolves across the country are one step closer to losing federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Trump administration officials at Interior are trying to make the case that 50 years of recovery efforts have restored wolf populations to a place where they no longer need to be protected under the act.

But scientists looking at where wolves have made a comeback, and where they haven’t, say recovery is far from complete. Why? Because although there are just over 6,000 wolves in the lower 48 states, mostly throughout the western Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountains, they occupy less than 15 percent of their historic range.

Which is why more than 100 scientists sent a letter on May 7 rebuking the proposal to remove wolves from the ESA. Additionally, a record-breaking 1.8 million people weighed in online, mostly opposing the proposal, before the July 15 deadline.

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https://www.vox.com/2019/7/13/20690727/endangered-species-list-2019-gray-wolves