Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
Archived Information - 2003 Final Rule to Reclassify/Delist the Gray Wolf
Service Will Not Appeal U.S. District Court Decisions
On Gray Wolf Delisting
Statement
of Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife
and Parks (Dec. 16, 2005)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not appeal U.S. District Court
decisions earlier this year striking down the Service's reclassification
of gray wolf populations from endangered to threatened for much of the
species' current range in the United States, although we continue to believe
the reclassification was both biologically and legally sound. We are exploring
options for managing wolf populations that comply with the Courts' rulings,
while recognizing, as the courts did, that the Yellowstone and Great Lakes
wolf populations have reached the recovery goals necessary for delisting.
The Department
of the Interior plans to issue separate, proposed rules to delist new
distinct population segments of gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains
and the Great Lakes as early as possible in 2006. Both proposed rules
will have public comment periods lasting 90 days.
In the meantime, gray wolves will continue to be managed as they were
prior to the 2003 reclassification. Gray wolves in Minnesota are classified
as threatened, as a result of a 1978 reclassification. Gray wolves in
the remaining 47 conterminous states and Mexico are endangered, except
where they are listed as part of an Experimental Population for reintroduction
purposes in the northern Rockies and parts of the Southwest. Citizens
with concerns about wolf management should contact the Fish and Wildlife
Service or their State wildlife agency for clarification of what actions
are currently allowed under the management designation in effect where
they live.
Information
about the U.S.
District Court in Oregon Decision on Wolf Reclassification
Vermont
District Court Ruling (PDF)
Gray
Wolf Current ESA Status
- - - - - - - - - - -
Back
Home
Home
Pages:
USFWS |USFWS Endangered Species | Midwest
Region | Midwest Region's Endangered Species |