Federal wildlife regulators have denied petitions submitted by hunting groups that sought to remove or reduce protections for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and West Coast states.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association, Michigan Bear Hunters Association and Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association filed the petitions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in June 2023.
The groups argued the agency should designate and delist distinct populations of gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region and the West Coast because the animals have recovered. They said removing federal protections for wolves was warranted in the Great Lakes region, as well as downlisting the wolf’s status from endangered to threatened in West Coast states…