Wyoming seeking delisting of gray wolves

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The state of Wyoming on Wednesday asked the U.S. Interior Department to remove special federal protection of gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains and allow states to control their numbers and domain.

The petition to remove the wolf from the endangered species list was signed by members of the state Game and Fish Commission and Gov. Dave Freudenthal and filed with Interior Secretary Gale Norton and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“There is unambiguous evidence that the species has met federal recovery goals, and the state of Wyoming has a good plan for managing wolves into perpetuity,” Freudenthal said in a statement. “This petition is about the federal government recognizing those two things and relinquishing control over how wolves in Wyoming are managed.”

The Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to review the petition and determine whether delisting the wolf may be warranted. If it does, the federal agency will conduct a more detailed review and then issue a final decision later.

The petition is another move in a legal and bureaucratic struggle between Wyoming and the federal government over management of wolves since they were reintroduced to the northern Rockies 10 years ago.

The animals have flourished and are estimated to number more than 800 in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. However, farmers, ranchers, landowners, outfitters and state officials say the wolves are a growing threat to wildlife, livestock and domestic pets.