Biden Administration Seeks Revival of Trump-Era Rule on Gray Wolves

The Biden administration has requested an appeals court to reinstate a Trump-era rule lifting Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves. If successful, state oversight will resume nationwide, potentially enabling hunting in the Great Lakes region. Environmentalists successfully opposed the removal of protections during Trump's final days. Protections remain pending the court's decision.

The Biden administration has formally requested an appeals court to revive a Trump-era rule that lifted protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. The move, if successful, would place the management of the predators under state oversight and potentially allow the resumption of hunting in the Great Lakes region. Protections were previously halted two years ago due to a court order instigated by environmentalists.

Friday's filing with the 9th US District Court of Appeals marks the Biden administration's first explicit effort to reinstate the rule. Federal protections will remain in place pending the court's decision, following years of contentious political debate as wolves have repopulated parts of the western US. Environmental groups argue that wolves only inhabit a small fraction of their historic range and aim for further expansion.

Historically, gray wolves once roamed most of North America but faced severe population decline by the mid-1900s through government-sponsored trapping and poisoning. They were granted federal protections in 1974, and each subsequent attempt to declare them recovered has been met with legal challenges. Notably, in 2011, Congress removed federal protections in the northern Rocky Mountains, leading to significant wolf culling in several states.

(With inputs from agencies.)