The U.S. House of Representatives as passed legislation to remove Endangered Species Act protections from wolves/USFWS, Gary Kramer
Lame duck congressional sessions are pretty much a crapshoot, as politicians rush to wrap up business and try to force through legislation that might otherwise not fly. So while there was concern when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves, it's not a sure thing that the Senate will go along.
Sponsored by Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisconsin, the measure that passed Friday would permanently strip protection from all wolves, except Mexican wolves in the Southwest. The bill would also prohibit review of the legislation by the courts.
“This final, pathetic stab at wolves exemplifies House Republicans’ longstanding cruelty and contempt for our nation’s wildlife,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The American people overwhelmingly support the Endangered Species Act and the magnificent animals and plants it protects. We don’t expect to see these disgraceful anti-wildlife votes next year under Democratic control of the House.”
"During the 115th Congress, Republicans launched more than 115 attacks on the Endangered Species Act," said the Center. "Since Republicans retook the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011, they have introduced more than 350 attacks against the act, even though nine out of 10 Americans want the Act strengthened or left unchanged by Congress, according to a 2015 poll."
Pushed by political currents, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly tried to remove ESA protections for gray wolves. Yet in nine separate cases, the federal courts uniformly found that these efforts failed to follow the law or the best available science, according to the Center. During the time when the Service illegally lifted federal protection in the western Great Lakes, approximately 1,500 gray wolves were wrongly killed, the group said.
Friday's passage of the bill to strip gray wolves of ESA protection came just two days after the Center sued the Trump administration to get a nationwide recovery plan in place for wolves. Gray wolves remain in just five percent of their historic range in the lower 48 states, and have not recovered in many places where they could, like the West Coast, Southern Rocky Mountains and New England.
At the Natural Resources Defense Council, Nora Apter said Congress seems to be overlooking that "we are in the middle of a global mass extinction crisis."
"The last thing our government should be doing is undermining our most effective law for protecting our most imperiled wildlife—and that’s exactly what this bill would do," said Apter. "The Endangered Species Act has seen such incredible success because it relies on science—not politics—in its decision-making and ensures citizens the right to enforce the law. H.R. 6784 undermines those key traits, threatening the integrity of the Endangered Species Act as a whole. The Senate must protect this vital law for species conservation, by rejecting this extreme proposal.”
A measure in the Senate similar to H.R. 6784, S.164, was referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee back in January, where it has remained.
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Comments
Please do not remove the protection for the wolves of North America or anywhere else. These apex predators are very important to their ecosystems around where they live including Yellowstone National Park. They are helping keep the prey animals in balance from over-consuming the vegetation in their habitats and they made a great movie called "How Wolves Change Rivers" which explains how they fixed up the national parks from where they were absent from for years before I was born. They belong hunting free and in the wild.
Terribly shortsighted move. I hope the Senate tables it.
These Republicans are no longer satisfied with stealing the silverware and china on their way out, but also making certain that they kill endangered species before they hit the door.
Wolf predation on livestock accounts for losses of only 0.04% of livestock inventories. A vast majority of public lands is used for livestock, but wildlife should be considered a vital natural resource that shouldn't come secondary to big agriculture business. Wolves are in 8 states and account for only 5% of their historic range. Wolf recovery means that we need wolves back in Colorado, Cascades, and New England. Let us finish what was started back in 1995 without the political roadblocks. Let us stand strongly with science, which shouts that wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems. Look no further than Yellowstone for evidence, where a night and day difference was seen in positive ecological benefits from wolf reintroduction. Learning to live with wolves and predators is necessary and will provide better benefits for all. Indiscriminate killing of predators actually has shown to increase livestock issues. There are non-lethal deterrent options available. Let us strive toward better options than killing an animal after a single predation occurence, which is the road Washington State especially is on right now. America's wildlife and people deserve better than that.
Well said, Danielle P.
we cannot let this happen the echo system needs wolves we need them to be safe and protected
Plus the eco
system does as well.
Recently the Citizens of Michigan voted Overwhelingly to PROTECT MICHIGAN native wolve population. there is one wolve for every 10,000 people approx living in Michigan. But Michigan citizens , who are the states foundational government..didn't just pass one provision, no the citizens voted to deny a panel of HONKY White prdominantly republican leaning hunting lobby friendly men that sit on the state wildlife advsory board the right to control the states native wolve population. So hear dear National park afficianado please listen. Our prediliction is what are we going to do to the State bogus plitiicans who vote weth a premeditated intention to undermine the DEMOCRATICALLY Explicit wiill of its Citizens. THis is a serious WHITE COLLAR CRIME Folks. Of course normally thee silk tied/silk socked elite running the show like the wizrd of OZ defer punishment...our message is "Now is thee TIME!" Start sending these crooks to PRIsON! Start Locking up these wanton "political terrorist" and establish the approriate STATE tribunals to deal with incorrigable poitical DEVIANTS like this...the Citizens of Michigan deserve no less. Not one single acception! MEanwhile in light of the irrefuttible nature of the 5th Gtreat Extinctions a NY tImes bestseller lest us work with out rest to protection u nconditionally Mich native wolve population