Gray Wolves Off Endangered List

by Stormchaser John

Cross-posted on Reuters

he U.S. Department of the Interior took the Northern Rockies' Gray Wolf off the endangered list today, opening them up for hunting as described in this earlier post from our managing editor.

CNN/AP reports that the "removal from the endangered list was announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Interior. The loss of federal protection allows states to move forward with public hunts for the animals, possibly as soon as this fall."

Environmental groups have promised to sue to keep the wolves on the list:

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (February 21, 2008) – Wolves in the Northern Rockies will lose protection under the Endangered Species Act under a new plan announced today by the Bush administration. The plan to “delist” the wolves threatens to reverse one of America’s most successful wildlife recovery efforts and puts the species back at risk of extinction, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

NRDC said it will immediately notify the government of its intent to file a lawsuit challenging the delisting decision. It said that it is premature to revoke endangered species protections because the wolves have not fully recovered.

Video of the Gray Wolves in the wild is available, as is the press release from the NRDC and the CNN/AP article.

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