House Natural Resources Committee passes wolf delisting legislation

WASHINGTON D.C. (WSAW) - Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s (CO-03) legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on Friday.

The Trust the Science Act, would permanently remove the gray wolf from the list of federal endangered species and restore authority to control the gray wolf population back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials.

“Activists endanger the Endangered Species Act by not removing species, like the gray wolf, when they have recovered,” said Rep. Tiffany. “It’s a scientific fact that the gray wolf population has met and exceeded recovery goals, and it’s time to celebrate this success by returning wolf management back to where it belongs, in states’ hands.”

“I am thrilled that the House Committee on Natural Resources trusted the nonpartisan science and passed Rep. Tiffany’s and my bill so we can finally delist the recovered gray wolf and focus scarce taxpayer funding on endangered species that actually need help being recovered,” said Rep. Boebert. “The science is clear, the gray wolf is fully recovered, and it is time for the federal government to get out of the way and allow state and tribal wildlife agencies to manage this species.”

In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latest Endangered Species Act success story with significant population recoveries in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions.

However, despite ample scientific evidence of the gray wolf’s recovery, a California judge unilaterally relisted the gray wolf under the ESA last year. 23 Members of Congress cosponsored Rep. Tiffany and Rep. Boebert’s Trust the Science Act, including the entire Wisconsin Republican Congressional Delegation.  

A full list of the groups that have supported the Trust the Science Act in the 117th Congress or the 118th Congress can be found here.