Outdoor News Daily

Though the removal of Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the Western Great Lakes wolves has not been as controversial as the battles over the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves, things are beginning to heat up again on this front also.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, along with five other petitioners, sent a letter on August 30 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) indicating that they will sue the agency within 60 days unless it issues a finding on their petition to remove the Western Great Lakes wolves from the Endangered Species List.

The letter makes clear that the Secretary of the Interior has not responded to the May 18 petition by the Foundation and others seeking the delisting of the wolves. The petitioners refer to violations of both the ESA and the Administrative Procedure Act which gives the Secretary 90 days to issue a finding as to whether there is enough scientific evidence to proceed with the delisting.

Since this has yet to take place and FWS understands that the wolf population in the region has biologically recovered, the petitioners gave the agency their notice of intent to sue. This notice is required to proceed with any legal action.

“No one wants to engage in litigation on this issue,” said Bill Horn, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation director of federal affairs. “However, the law is the law and it is high time that FWS move forward with giving states back their rightful ability to manage their wolf populations.”

Joining the Foundation in filing the petition are the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, Dairyland Committee of Safari Club International Chapters of Wisconsin, National Wild Turkey Federation of Wisconsin, Whitetails of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Firearms Owners, Ranges, Clubs and Educators Inc.

The Departments of Natural Resources in Minnesota and Wisconsin also filed separate petitions seeking the removal of ESA protections for the Western Great Lakes wolves in March and April of 2010 respectively.

The latest move by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation comes after several years of back and forth wrangling over the listing as well as numerous actions taken by state agencies in the region.

Two previous efforts by FWS to delist the Western Great Lakes gray wolves were reversed as a result of lawsuits filed by anti-hunting groups and some procedural mistakes made by the FWS in the waning days of the Bush Administration.

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