Congress removes Northern Rockies wolves from Endangered Species protection

ENDANGERED SPECIES — It’s official. Gray wolves soon will be delisted as endangered species in the Northern Rockies, and states can begin wolf management programs.

Montana wildlife officials are heaping praise on U.S. Sen. Jon Tester today as a Congressional measure he helped craft removed gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in Montana, Idaho, and parts Oregon, Washington and Utah.

Within 60 days of the enactment of a new federal law, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior will reissue the wolf delisting rule first published in April 2009. Unlike delisting rules issued in the past, this Congressional action also excludes the rule from judicial review.

The reissued rule:

• is effective upon publication in the Federal Register.
• delists all wolves in Montana, Idaho—and in portions of Washington, Oregon and Utah
• does not delist wolves in Wyoming.
• authorizes Montana to manage wolves under the state’s federally approved Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.