Outdoor News Daily

The long, winding path to delisting the gray wolf from the endangered species list in Michigan is moving closer to an end, at least for the moment. However, animal rights groups are already waiting to swoop in from the wings and slam the brakes on the effort.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has determined the number of gray wolves in the Upper Peninsula have made a tremendous recovery. Consequently, the state announced on April 27 that the gray wolf was removed from its endangered species list.

The decision by the Michigan DNR comes on the heels of a recent decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to delist gray wolf populations in the Great Lakes region from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This regulatory decision returns the management of wolf populations over to the states. As it currently stands, the decision will go into effect on May 4, 2009.

However, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) opposes the return of authority to the states. The head of the HSUS litigation section, Jonathan Lovvorn, has been referred to in media accounts as questioning the ability of states to effectively manage their wolf populations.

The HSUS has also gone on record with an April 2 press release indicating that it and four other groups intend to sue the FWS in federal court to prevent the delisting.

The other groups referred to by the HSUS include: the Center for Biological Diversity, Help Our Wolves Live, Friends of Animals and Their Environment, and Born Free USA.

If the Michigan regains authority over its wolves, current regulations in the state classify them as “protected nongame species.” This would require legislative approval prior to any general hunting and trapping seasons, though the state would have more flexibility to deal with attacks on domestic pets or predation of farm animals.

Stay tuned for more on this important wildlife management saga.

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