By David Robinson, August 2, 2021

There is a simple reason why a bipartisan group of 85 Congressional Representatives signed a letter urging Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to “reconsider the decision to delist the Gray Wolf under the Endangered Species Act.”

And why 59+ NGOs (environmental/other organizations) have strongly requested this critical action.

That is because gray wolves need protection. Endangered Species Coalition Executive Director Leda Huta recently emphasized how important and timely this ask is. “Gray wolves in our country are facing threats the likes of which we have not seen in decades,” she said. “The Biden Administration can no longer delay. It must act promptly and decisively to protect America’s gray wolves.”

In their letter to Secretary Haaland, the U.S. reps agreed that “We believe the science supports listing the gray wolf as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We believe the Trump Administration willfully ignored the science of ESA listing decisions in favor of partisan political calculations when it moved to strip federal protections in the fall of 2020.”

More than 400 scientists are endorsing the call “for federal protections for wolves, citing new state laws that allow for inhumane hunting practices and threaten the species’ recovery.” The letter reminded the Secretary that several states, such as Montana, Idaho, and Wisconsin, have enacted anti-wolf policies. Those include year-round hunting of adults and pups, the use of choke-hold snares, and trapping further into the breeding season.

In addition, the Representatives expressed concern that a rapid decline in the gray wolf population would have a “negative effect on their habitat and could be detrimental to local ecosystems.”

The wolf call for action is an ideal example of how working together can help protect threatened and endangered species and their precious habitats. You may have assisted by contacting your representatives to encourage their support.

Of course, there will be pushback, as certain states and groups argue that the delisting was appropriate and that wolves don’t need protection.

But 85 Congressional Representatives and nearly 60 organizations have spoken.

Now we must wait for Secretary Haaland to make her decision based on science, what is genuinely best for gray wolves, and the “healthy functioning of (our) ecosystems.”