Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Hunting News

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Delists Wyoming Grey Wolves and Returns Management to the State

Friday, May 5, 2017

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Delists Wyoming Grey Wolves and Returns Management to the State

For years, the NRA has been working to ensure that sound wildlife management practices implemented by the states, and not federal politics, govern the control of wolf populations in the United States. 

Anti-hunting groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, have been on the other side of this issue. They know that excessive wolf predation of elk, deer and moose reduces hunting opportunities in the American Northwest. Fewer opportunities to hunt mean fewer hunters, which is key to their long-term goal of eradicating America’s outdoor sporting traditions. 

During the mid-1990s, dozens of wolves from Canada were released into Yellowstone Park and Idaho under the auspices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which had included grey wolves on the list of Endangered and Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FWS’s Wolf Recovery Plan sought to establish minimum breeding pairs in three different zones, at which point the wolves would be delisted from the ESA and managed by the states. 

The wolves quickly exceeded established population targets, but anti-hunting groups challenged their delisting in court. The NRA, Safari Club International, and other pro-hunting organizations gained intervenor status in these suits to help vindicate the scientific management of the wolves through state fish and wildlife agencies. While Idaho and Montana regained authority to manage wolves within their borders, Wyoming was blocked from doing so by a 2014 federal district court decision.

In March, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned the earlier decision that rejected the delisting of the Wyoming grey wolf. The decision in that case, Defenders of Wildlife v. Zinke, vindicated the states’ ability to properly manage their wolf populations. In Wyoming, this includes authorization for relatively unconstrained hunting in a designated “predator area” that does not constitute a significant portion of the wolves’ range in order to reduce the wolves’ conflicts with humans, including livestock predation. The court also noted that two years after wolves were delisted in Idaho and Montana, their populations remained many times larger than the states’ designated minimums. 

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead hailed the Circuit court’s decision in a statement posted to Wyoming Game & Fish Department website. “I am delighted that the Circuit Court recognized Wyoming’s commitment to manage a recovered wolf population,” Governor Mead stated.

On Monday, the FWS acted on the court’s decision by publishing a final rule that delists the grey wolf in Wyoming from the ESA and returns their management to the state. 

The NRA is pleased to see this long-running controversy resolved favorably and is proud to have played a role in ensuring that radical attempts to eliminate hunting and diminish state authority over wildlife management were defeated.

TRENDING NOW
Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

In a temporary reprieve for Colorado gun owners, the semi-auto ban HB24-1292 has been removed from the calendar. But we cannot let our guard down as gun control advocates can bring it up for a vote at ...

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

Much of the attention this past week in the United States Supreme Court was the oral arguments in National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, No. 22-842, a First Amendment case on whether government officials ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 24-1292, the semi-auto ban, that lasted over 12 hours where hundreds of patriotic Coloradans overloaded the committee with opposition testimony. The hearing concluded with an ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

News  

Second Amendment  

Monday, March 25, 2024

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

In response to the NRA’s victory in Bruen, which secured every American’s right to carry arms, NY passed the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act,” severely restricting carry throughout the state. The 2nd Circuit upheld many of ...

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

On March 19, the city of Chicago filed suit against handgun manufacturer Glock. Seeking to shift responsibility for the city’s woeful governance, Chicago’s lawsuit blames the popular firearm manufacturer for the third-party criminal misuse of ...

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Today, Governor Inslee signed five anti-gun bills into law that were recently passed by the Washington State Legislature. The bills include:

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

News  

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

Last week we reported on a major breakthrough on behalf of veterans who risked losing their Second Amendment rights because of a long-running scheme by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report certain beneficiaries ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Today, the House is scheduled to vote on HB24-1292, the ban on semi-automatic firearms. Please contact your legislators today by using the button below and urge them to OPPOSE HB24-1292!

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

A number of firearm-related bills, including enhanced preemption, are moving in the Louisiana Legislature. It's critical that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters get involved to keep the momentum going!

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

On Wednesday, the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee voted 7-4 to pass Senate Bill 67 to the Senate floor for a vote. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.