A California Court Said Gray Wolves Should Still Be Protected Under the Endangered Species Act, But Some States Can Still Kill Too Many Wolves
In a huge victory for gray wolves, a California court just struck down the awful 2020 decision to remove their endangered species protection status at the federal level. This is an amazing step forward, but unfortunately, the areas where wolves are most under attack — Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho — are not included in this court decision. Heartbreakingly and ironically, these states are also where the bulk of U.S. wolves reside, and kill quotas can be as high as 90% of the already vulnerable population.
Wolves in these states were actually officially delisted in 2009, and it was left up to decision-makers at the state level to manage and protect them. This has been devastating, resulting in overhunting, breaches of Tribal nations’ rights, and insidious loopholes that allow the killing of wolves that cross state lines. On top of that, we know that the Montana governor himself sidestepped the law for a chance to murder a wolf in 2021. So how can we expect state legislatures to properly manage wildlife populations when their leaders are so committed to illegally killing innocent animals?
The recent California ruling was a crucial step in the right direction, and still helps gray wolf populations overall. But we must protect these innocent animals where they need it the most desperately, and the best way to do that is by fully relisting them in every state under the Endangered Species Act. Sign the petition now to put pressure on the Department of the Interior to protect ALL gray wolves!