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Oregon Agency Ramps Up Wolf Killing to Appease Livestock Industry
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced the killing of two members of the Wildcat pack, one of three wolf families for whom the department has issued kill orders in the past six weeks.
Read more.Four New Yet-To-Be-Named Wolf Packs Confirmed in California
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that four new packs of wolves have been confirmed in California in the past five months.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolves Receive More Protections From Government Killings
TUCSON, Ariz.— Wildlife Services, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has released a new set of standards it will use to determine the cause of livestock deaths in Arizona and New Mexico. Conservation groups have sought such changes to ensure Mexican gray wolves aren’t unfairly blamed for livestock deaths.
Read more.Only Four Collared Wild Mexican Gray Wolves Survive in Mexico
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservationists sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today warning about the severely low numbers of Mexican gray wolves in Mexico. The agency relies on the Mexican population of wolves as a buttress against extinction in the United States.
Read more.Court Ruling Signals Gray Wolves Need More Regions to Recover
WASHINGTON— A federal judge today refused to dismiss the Center for Biological Diversity’s lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, saying the agency has not met federal requirements for a nationwide gray wolf recovery plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Challenging Montana’s Wolf Trapping Program
HELENA, Mont.— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of its intent to sue over the permitting of a Montana wolf pelt export program that may harm endangered Canada lynx.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Enforceable Rules to Prevent Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— Conservation groups petitioned the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Tuesday for rules requiring the use of nonlethal deterrence measures before killing wolves. The petition comes after the commission failed to adopt similar rules last year despite Gov. Jay Inslee’s order to undergo rulemaking.
Read more.Petition Urges Interior Department to Ban ‘Cyanide Bombs’ On Public Lands
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, Predator Defense and scores of other conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Interior Department today to ban the use of M-44 devices, commonly known as ‘‘cyanide bombs,’’ on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. These wildlife-killing devices are spring-loaded ejectors armed with cyanide powder that have injured people and inhumanely killed thousands of animals every year.
Read more.Bills Introduced to Ban Deadly ‘Cyanide Bombs’ on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Bills introduced Tuesday by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) would ban the use of wildlife-killing M-44 devices, commonly known as ‘‘cyanide bombs,’’ on public lands. These deadly devices are spring-loaded capsules armed with cyanide spray that have injured people and inhumanely killed thousands of animals every year.
Read more.Wandering Mexican Wolf Asha Returned to Wild After Capture
PHOENIX— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it returned Asha, a well-known Mexican gray wolf, to the wilds of Arizona. She was captured last January for wandering outside of an arbitrary management zone and heading north into the southern Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. Her journey last winter broke new ground and sent her east of Interstate 25, across Interstate 40, and up near Taos.
Read more.Idaho, Wyoming Urged to Require Bear Identification Course for Black Bear Hunters
JACKSON, Wyo.— Nine conservation organizations sent letters today urging the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to require black bear hunters to take a bear identification course before getting a hunting license. Hunters continue to kill grizzlies, claiming they thought they were black bears.
Read more.Court Overturns Federal Authorization to Kill 72 Grizzlies Near Yellowstone
PINEDALE, Wyo.— The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authorization of the killing of up to 72 grizzly bears on public land just outside of Yellowstone National Park violated federal law.
Read more.Two New Groups of Wolves Confirmed in Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that two new groups of wolves have been confirmed in northern California — one in Tehama County and the other in western Lassen County. If the department designates each as a pack, they would become the fifth and sixth confirmed wolf packs in the Golden State in 100 years.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Agency Recommends Reducing Gray Wolf Protections
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today recommended that state protections for Washington’s wolves be reduced from endangered to sensitive.
Read more.Oregon’s Annual Wolf Report Reveals Only Three Additional Wolves
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population increased by just three confirmed animals in 2022 — rising from 175 to 178 wolves — according to a report released today by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. High levels of wolves killed by people likely explains the stalled recovery of the state’s wolf population.
Read more.Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Killed by Government Agents in New Mexico
SILVER CITY, N.M.— An endangered Mexican gray wolf has been killed in New Mexico by federal employees, according to a document released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Affectionately named Rusty by a middle school student in a nationwide contest, the wolf was killed on April 12, leaving behind his likely pregnant mate and several yearling pups. The Service quietly authorized the killing on March 29, 2023 — the 25th anniversary of Mexican wolves’ return to the wild.
Read more.Washington’s Wolf Population Increased Just 5% in 2022
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Washington’s wolf population increased by just 5% in 2022, according to figures released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. That increase is far less than what’s necessary to achieve a healthy wolf population in the state.
Read more.New Group of Wolves Confirmed in California’s Tehama County
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife this week confirmed that photographs of three wolves were captured on trail cameras recently in Tehama County. The trio marks the fifth potential pack in nearly 100 years to establish itself in the state.
Read more.Injunction Seeks to Block Logging in Montana’s Kootenai National Forest
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups asked a federal court today to block logging and road construction for the large Knotty Pine timber sale project in the Kootenai National Forest. The project threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border.
Read more.Events in Arizona, New Mexico to Mark Silver Anniversary of Mexican Gray Wolves in Wild
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Public events throughout the Southwest this spring will mark the 25th anniversary of the first release of Mexican gray wolves into the wild.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Population Grew 23% in 2022
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the number of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest grew by 45 animals last year — from 196 in 2021, to 241 in 2022. Of those wolves, 136 were in western New Mexico and 105 in eastern Arizona.
Read more.Coloradans Strongly Support Wolf Restoration at Denver Meeting
DENVER— Scores of Coloradans today voiced their support for science-based, ecologically friendly wolf restoration throughout Colorado during a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission hearing on a draft wolf plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Colorado Wolves From Hunters at Wyoming Border
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity today notified the U.S. Forest Service of its intent to sue over the agency’s failure to protect wolves from hunters in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The lawsuit would seek a ban on wolf hunting and trapping in the entire forest, which straddles the Colorado-Wyoming border.
Read more.Legal Win Protects Minnesota’s Rare Lynx From Cruel, Indiscriminate Trapping
MINNEAPOLIS— A federal judge today ordered the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to ban most uses of strangulation snares in northeastern Minnesota.
Read more.Proposed Rule Allows for Widespread Killing of Reintroduced Colorado Wolves
DENVER— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposed wolf management rule that would allow livestock operators and federal and state agents to kill wolves. The rule would let ranchers kill wolves even on public lands, without requiring the use of nonlethal conflict prevention measures first.
Read more.State Efforts to Remove Federal Grizzly Protections Move Forward
BOZEMAN, Mont.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a finding stating that removing federal protections from grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems “may be warranted.” Removing Endangered Species Act safeguards could pave the way for the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in parts of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Read more.Removal of Wandering Mexican Wolf Dismays Conservationists
SANTA FE, N.M.— A female Mexican gray wolf known as Asha was captured in northern New Mexico by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.
Read more.Letter Urges Agencies to Let Mexican Gray Wolf Continue Northern New Mexico Travels
SANTA FE, N.M.— Conservation advocates today sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish urging the agencies to allow a female Mexican gray wolf to continue her wandering journey in northern New Mexico.
Read more.Petition Seeks Hounding Ban in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
MILWAUKEE— Wildlife conservation and animal protection groups petitioned the U.S. Forest Service today to ban hounding in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Hounding is the practice of training and using dogs to hunt and chase down black bears and other wildlife.
Read more.$15,000 Reward Offered for Info on Oregon Wolf Killed Illegally in Late 2022
PORTLAND, Ore.— Wildlife conservation groups today announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal killing of a collared male wolf in Klamath County late last fall.
Read more.Minnesota Releases Final Wolf Management Plan
MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources today released its final wolf management plan, which will guide the state’s wolf conservation efforts for the next decade. It replaces a previous plan that was last updated in 2001.
Read more.Petition Seeks Jaguar Reintroduction, Habitat Protection in New Mexico, Arizona
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to reintroduce jaguars to the Southwest. The largest cat in the Americas was put on the endangered species list 50 years ago, but because of federal inaction, only a single known wild jaguar now survives in the United States.
Read more.Heavy Reliance on Wolf Killing in Colorado’s Draft Management Plan
DENVER— Colorado Parks and Wildlife today unveiled a draft restoration and management plan for wolves in the state. But the proposed plan allows for wolves to be killed frequently and would let the state remove protections before a sustainable population is established.
Read more.Endangered Wildlife Win Protections From Lead on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— A federal judge today ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take measures to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges. The protections include phasing out the use of poisonous lead ammunition and tackle at several refuges across the country.
Read more.New Lawsuit Demands National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the failure of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a national gray wolf recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.New Washington Wildlife Commission Policy Forecloses Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 on Friday to adopt a policy that forecloses spring black bear hunting, effectively ending the hunt unless the commission votes to reverse its decision in the future.
Read more.$51,400 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Poisonings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced today an increased reward of $51,400 for information leading to a conviction in the illegal poisoning deaths of six wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.Federal Officials Release Final Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Plan
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its final revised Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan with court-ordered measures to lower deaths, including those caused by illegal killings. Mexican gray wolves are one of the most endangered canids in the world, with only 196 counted in Arizona and New Mexico earlier this year.
Read more.New Red Wolf Recovery Plan Needs Public Input
RALEIGH, N.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a revised draft recovery plan for the red wolf, the world’s most endangered canid, following a 2020 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity. The plan proposes several beneficial actions the federal government should take, including the establishment of new populations and ways to reduce human-caused wolf deaths.
Read more.Dozens of Conservation Groups, Scientists Call on New York to Protect Wolves
ALBANY, N.Y.— Nearly 40 regional and national conservation groups and leading independent scientists sent a letter today urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to take concrete steps to protect wolves returning to the state.
Read more.New Wolf Family Seen in Northern Oregon’s Cascades
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Monday evening that a new family of wolves was photographed by biologists from the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs using a trail camera in August. The wolf family consists of two adults and two pups.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Grizzlies from Expanded Grazing in Montana’s Paradise Valley
MISSOULA, Mont.— Nine conservation organizations filed a lawsuit today to challenge the U.S. Forest Service’s 2021 decision to authorize expanded livestock grazing on six allotments on the east side of Montana’s Paradise Valley. The allotments lie just north of Yellowstone National Park in occupied grizzly bear habitat.
Read more.Video: California Wolf Who Journeyed to Oregon Likely a Father
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a report today announcing video footage of the den site of what could be a relatively new wolf family in southwestern Oregon. This is the first known modern-day instance of a California wolf dispersing to Oregon and likely starting a family.
Read more.Federal Safeguards Urged For Colorado Wolves in 2023 Reintroduction
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity has urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to limit the killing of wolves that will be reintroduced in Colorado in 2023. The federal protections — requested in a Center letter sent this week — would override a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan, which could allow for the widespread killing of wolves.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Seeking National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to develop a national wolf recovery plan as required by the Endangered Species Act. The planned lawsuit would seek to require the Service to draft a recovery plan that includes all populations of wolves in the contiguous United States.
Read more.New Report Outlines Blueprint for Rewilding American West
SAN FRANCISCO— A first-of-its-kind analysis by 20 leading scientists has identified a network of 11 federally owned reserves where wolves and beavers could be restored across the western United States. Restoring these keystone species could also improve degraded habitat relied on by 92 threatened and endangered species, including the Gunnison sage-grouse and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Restore Federal Protection to Northern Rockies Wolves After Government Misses Deadline
VICTOR, Idaho— Wildlife conservation organizations sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for missing its deadline to decide whether gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Washington’s Failure to Enact Wolf Management Rules
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Five conservation groups filed a lawsuit today asking a state court to enforce Gov. Jay Inslee’s order directing state wildlife officials to enact wolf management rules. The rules should have outlined what steps must be taken before wolves can be killed for conflict with livestock.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Withhold Federal Funding From Montana, Idaho Over Wolf-Killing Legislation
BOZEMAN, Mont.— A petition filed today by 27 conservation groups calls on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to disqualify Montana and Idaho from receiving millions of dollars in federal conservation funds because of the aggressive anti-wolf legislation the states enacted in 2021.
Read more.Pups Confirmed in Two California Wolf Packs
SAN FRANCISCO— Two of California’s three existing wolf families, the Lassen pack and the Whaleback pack, have again produced pups this year, according to a quarterly report published late Tuesday by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Read more.DNA Test Confirms Another Wolf Killed in New York
ALBANY, N.Y.— A recent DNA analysis of an 85-pound canid shot by a hunter in central New York in December shows that the animal was a gray wolf. According to the Maine Wolf Coalition, at least 10 other wolves have been killed south of the St. Lawrence River, once thought to be too great a barrier for wolves to cross.
Read more.New Wolf Pack Confirmed in Western Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that a new wolf pack has established itself in the Upper Deschutes wildlife management unit in Klamath and Deschutes counties. Not yet named, the wolf family gave birth to at least five pups this year, which were photographed on July 4 by a department trail camera.
Read more.Conservationists, Wildlife Advocates Propose Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan
DENVER— A group of 14 conservation and wildlife organizations, led by WildEarth Guardians, today put forward their “Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan” as a science-based proposal to guide wolf reintroduction and recovery in Colorado following the passage of Proposition 114 in 2020. The plan focuses on bringing about the immensely positive ecological, economic, and social opportunities for Coloradans and the Colorado landscapes that have been missing wolves for so long by ensuring a self-sustaining, robust population of wolves throughout the Western Slope.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Fish and Wildlife Service’s Inadequate Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Efforts
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court challenging a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management rule that fails to provide for the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf, among the most endangered mammals in the United States.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Federal Plan Authorizing Killing of 72 Grizzlies Near Yellowstone
PINEDALE, Wyo.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed an appeal today challenging a federal plan authorizing the killing of up to 72 grizzly bears to accommodate livestock grazing in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Yellowstone National Park.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Finalized to Eliminate Population Cap
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Meeting a July 1 court-ordered deadline in litigation brought by conservationists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today finalized a rule that ends its 2015 regulatory commitment to remove from the wild all endangered Mexican gray wolves above a population cap of 325.
Read more.Rural New Mexico County Votes to Stop Funding Federal Wildlife-Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Grant County commissioners voted 2-1 against renewing a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program last Thursday because the federal agency, which kills carnivores on behalf of the livestock industry, ignored requirements within its last contract.
Read more.$30,000 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $30,000 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the illegal killing of four wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.Court Restores Wolverine Protections While Agency Reconsiders Endangered Species Decision
MISSOULA, Mont.— In a victory for wolverines, a Montana District Court decided late Thursday to restore the species as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The court agreed with conservation groups that wolverines need additional protections while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reconsiders its 2020 decision not to protect the species as threatened or endangered.
Read more.Massive Kootenai National Forest Timber Sale Challenged by Conservation Groups
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to stop a large timber sale in the Kootenai National Forest that threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border. The groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue it, as well.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Eliminates Cap on Population, Restricts Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed today that it will eliminate its current population cap of 325 Mexican gray wolves that are allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest. Today’s announcement follows a 2018 legal victory by conservation organizations. In the same decision, the agency rejected science-based reforms that would increase genetic diversity at a faster rate.
Read more.First Red Wolf Pups Born in Wild Since 2018, Raising Hope for Brighter Future for Species
ALBERMARLE, N.C.— For the first time in four years, a litter of pups has been born into eastern North Carolina’s struggling population of wild red wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program staff confirmed this week that six pups were born to a wild red wolf pair in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The Service announced late Thursday night that the new litter includes four females and two male pups.
Read more.Oregon’s Wolf Population Increases by Only Two After Year of Poaching Deaths
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population increased by two confirmed animals in 2021 — from 173 to 175 wolves — according to a report released today by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. There were 21 reported packs in 2021, while the number of breeding pairs decreased by one for a total of 16.
Read more.Federal Officials Revise Plan to Recover Endangered Mexican Gray Wolves
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Responding to a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will release a draft revision to its 2017 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan. The new draft, which will be released Thursday, is intended to provide measures to reduce human-caused mortality that the 2017 plan lacked.
Read more.More Than 200 Wolves Reported in Washington in 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The official Washington wolf population numbers released today show a statewide total of 206 wolves in 33 packs, with 19 successful breeding pairs. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife documented 30 wolves killed by people in 2021, up from 16 last year.
Read more.Arizona Game and Fish Fails to Ban Spring Bear Hunting With New Guidelines
PHOENIX, Ariz.— The Arizona Game and Fish Commission finalized new five-year hunting guidelines today that offer slightly better protections for mountain lions and bears but still fail to give the animals a fair chance, allowing hound hunting and a spring bear hunt to proceed.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers Rose to Just Under 200 Last Year
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The population of endangered Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico grew by 10 animals last year, from 186 animals in 2020 to 196 in 2021. While this represents an overall increase, the pace of recovery is being hampered by illegal killings, disease, and genetic mismanagement.
Read more.400,000 Native Animals Killed by Federal Program Last Year, New Data Shows
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services reported killing 404,538 native animals in 2021, according to new data released by the program today. The federal wildlife-killing program targets wolves, coyotes, cougars, birds and other wild animals, primarily to benefit the agriculture industry in states like Texas, Colorado and Idaho.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Again Votes Down Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 today against a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The vote by the commission, which oversees the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, is the second related to this year’s season. It follows an attempt by hunting groups to reverse the original November 2021 suspension of the hunt.
Read more.Five Years After ‘Cyanide Bomb’ Injures Idaho Teen, Efforts Continue to Ban Deadly Devices
WASHINGTON— This week marks the fifth anniversary of an Idaho teen nearly being fatally poisoned by an M-44, commonly known as a “cyanide bomb.” The incident received worldwide media coverage and spurred federal and state efforts to ban these wildlife-killing devices.
Read more.Last Rattlesnake Roundup in Georgia Replaced by Humane Wildlife Festival
ATLANTA— Following advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and conservation allies, the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup will hold its first ever wildlife-friendly event this Saturday, March 5. The revamped roundup in Whigham, Georgia, will celebrate snakes instead of collecting and butchering them for their meat and skins.
Read more.$22,500 Reward Offered for Info on Illegal Killing of Wolf in Northeast Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $22,500 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the killing of a collared wolf outside the town of Cove in Northeast Oregon.
Read more.Federal Court Restores Gray Wolf’s Endangered Species Act Protection
OAKLAND, Calif.— A federal judge today restored protection to gray wolves, reversing a Trump-era rule that removed Endangered Species Act protection from the animals across most of the country. Today’s ruling prohibits wolf hunting and trapping in states outside of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Read more.Red Wolf Recovery Program to Resume in Earnest, Raising Ray of Hope for Survival
RALEIGH, N.C.— After years of litigation and advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday night that it is revitalizing the effort to save the red wolf from extinction. In an online meeting, the Service announced that it is redoubling its efforts to ensure that the red wolf not only survives in the wild but makes a full recovery.
Read more.Mr. Goodbar, Famed Wandering Wolf of Borderlands, Shot in New Mexico But Survives
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The endangered Mexican gray wolf who spent five days pacing along the border wall in New Mexico before turning back was found shot but alive Wednesday.
Read more.Gov. Inslee Makes Three New Appointments to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Gov. Jay Inslee appointed three new members to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today. These new commissioners — Tim Ragen, John Lehmkhul and Melanie Rowland — will complete the nine-member body that makes decisions regarding management of the state’s fish, wildlife and other resources.
Read more.$16,500 Reward Offered for Info on Wolf Killed Illegally in Oregon’s Wallowa County
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation groups announced today a $16,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal shooting death of a two-year-old collared female wolf in Wallowa County in early January. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Turn in Poachers (TIP) division also offers a potential $300 reward for information regarding illegal wolf killings.
Read more.Wandering Mexican Gray Wolf in New Mexico Blocked by Border Wall
SILVER CITY, N.M.— In the first documented instance of the U.S.-Mexico border wall separating two endangered wolf populations, a Mexican gray wolf — likely in search of a new home and mate — was blocked at the border in New Mexico last month. The wolf’s GPS collar periodically beamed his locations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which last week released them to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Legal Victory Compels Federal Wolf Trappers to Address Risks to Minnesota’s Endangered Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS— In response to legal action by the Center for Biological Diversity, two federal agencies have agreed to analyze and mitigate the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by the trapping of Minnesota’s wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Another Endangered Southeast Washington Wolf Killed Despite No New Livestock Conflicts
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today that a livestock owner in southeast Washington killed a juvenile wolf on Dec. 8, despite the lack of any new livestock conflicts since Nov. 15. An adult male wolf from the same pack already was killed by the agency Nov. 18.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Idaho Wolf Trapping Laws That Endanger Grizzlies, Lynx
BOISE, Idaho— Thirteen conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging Idaho’s extreme wolf-trapping rules, which facilitate the slaughter of up to 90% of Idaho’s gray wolf population. The lawsuit contends that continued and expanded wolf trapping and snaring will injure and kill non-target grizzly bears and Canada lynx, which are federally protected species.
Read more.Reward Increased to $36,000 for Info on Fatal Poisoning of Eight Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Three conservation groups have added $10,000 to the reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year, bringing the total award to $36,000.
Read more.$26,000 Reward Offered for Info on Fatal Poisoning of 8 Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal protection groups are offering a combined $26,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Massive Sport Hunting, Fishing Expansion on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges across the country.
Read more.California’s Epic Traveling Wolf OR-93 is Dead After Vehicle Strike Along I-5
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— State wildlife agency officials announced today that OR-93, a radio-collared male wolf from Oregon who first entered California on Jan. 30, has died after being struck by a vehicle along Interstate 5 in Kern County.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Consult Tribal Nations on Gray Wolf Management, Protection
WASHINGTON— Following the conclusion of last week’s White House Tribal Nations Summit, more than 60 conservation groups today called for the Biden administration to immediately relist the gray wolf and engage with Tribal nations on wolf management and protection.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Suspends Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The state of Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-4 today to suspend a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The spring hunt, which the commission reviews annually, required a majority to authorize, so the tie vote puts the hunt on hold.
Read more.Federal Judge to Hear Arguments on Removal of Federal Protection From Gray Wolves
OAKLAND, Calif.— Conservation advocates will present oral arguments Friday in U.S. District Court in a case that will decide whether federal Endangered Species Act protection is restored to gray wolves across much of the country.
Read more.Federal Proposal Would Eliminate Cap on Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers, Restrict Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Following a 2018 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to eliminate its population cap on the number of Mexican gray wolves allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest.
Read more.Oregon Kills Nearly All Remaining Members of Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced that the agency killed three more members of the Lookout Mountain Pack, including a yearling and two pups too young to hunt, in response to conflicts with livestock in Baker County.
Read more.Court Rules Federal Officials Must Address Poaching of Mexican Wolves in New Recovery Plan
TUCSON, Ariz.— In response to a lawsuit by conservation groups, a judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must add specific actions to address illegal killing of Mexican wolves to its plan for the species’ recovery.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Minnesota’s Lynx, Wolves From Federal Trappers
MINNEAPOLIS— The Center for Biological Diversity notified two federal agencies today of its plans to sue for inadequate analysis of the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by trapping of wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Biden Administration Defends Wildlife Services’ Killing of Wolf Pups in Idaho
BOISE, Idaho—The Biden administration defended the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services’ actions in Idaho in a letter Tuesday after the agency preemptively killed eight wolf pups from Idaho’s Timberline pack in response to complaints from a rancher grazing livestock on public lands.
Read more.Federal Officials Urged to End States’ Wildlife Management Funding in Response to Extreme Wolf-Killing Programs
WASHINGTON— State game agencies could lose a substantial portion of their budgets for eradicating their wolf populations under a proposal put forward by the Global Indigenous Council, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the Center for Biological Diversity and a coalition of 25 Native American, conservation, and animal welfare organizations. The plan would deny federal wildlife management funding to states that excessively target predators, such as wolves, cougars and grizzly bears.
Read more.New Study: Tiny Minority of Local Poachers Is Driving Red Wolves to Extinction
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— A new study published in the journal Biological Conservation finds that poaching of red wolves is driven by a small minority of individuals who live in eastern North Carolina’s Red Wolf Recovery Area. The study indicates that the species enjoys robust local support among the general population, but a small group of local poachers has been effective in driving the species to the brink of extinction.
Read more.Oregon Expands Kill Order for Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have expanded orders that authorize the killing of up to six members of the Lookout Mountain pack, including yearlings and 5-month-old pups. The latest kill order could leave the pack with just a single radio-collared female adult.
Read more.