Decision to drop wolves’ endangered status under review

President Barack Obama’s planned review of recent changes in federal regulations raises questions about whether gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes regions will remain classified as endangered. The U.S. Department of Interior announced last week it would drop wolves in both regions from the federal list of endangered species because they have recovered from the brink of extinction. The department said wolves in Wyoming would remain under federal jurisdiction because that state had not done enough to assure their survival. On his first day as president Tuesday, Obama ordered a review of last-minute Bush administration regulatory changes. The Interior Department says attorneys are studying how the order will affect the wolf decision.