Boone and Crockett Club Statement on FWS Decision to Initiate Status Review of Gray Wolves

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club is cautiously hopeful that today’s decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reanalyze the status of the wolf under the Endangered Species Act will put science ahead of politics.

“Today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could provoke more controversy, but we hope all concerned can come to agree that wolf conservation and management should remain under the scientific management of state wildlife agencies,” commented Boone and Crockett Club chief executive officer, Tony Schoonen. 

Since 2002 when the gray wolf was first proposed for state management, the status of the wolf under the Endangered Species Act has been analyzed repeatedly, always resulting in the same conclusion: the gray wolf in North America is not in need of the protections of the ESA. 

The FWS decision today satisfies the legal requirement to reply to petitions on ESA status within 90 days. The finding is on the preliminary question of whether the petitions contain substantial information warranting further analysis.

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