New legislation attempts to remove wolves from Endangered Species List

News

New legislation attempts to remove wolves from Endangered Species List

Thirteen members of Congress have introduced legislation aimed at removing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List permanently.

Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany and Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced the Trust the Science Act Tuesday, which simply requires the Secretary of the Interior to re-issue the November 2020 final rule removing the gray wolf from the list and making that final rule non-reviewable by a judge.

Tiffany tells Brownfield he hopes the Democratic majority will give the bill a hearing in the Natural Resources Committee. “I’m skeptical that we’re going to be able to get that but we want to make sure that we’re trying to advance it and allow the Democrat majority an opportunity to do that. If it does not get a hearing, then we’re hoping next session if we’re able to get the majority back that we will have a hearing then.”

Tiffany says Wisconsin’s Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin has already supported delisting the gray wolf, and he says Baldwin could be the key to getting more Democratic support. “If she’s passive, it’s probably not going to get done, but if she really got out there and worked on this and said to President Biden we need this to get done, she could have a really big impact if she chose to.”

The on again-off again endangered status of the wolf is currently on after California U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White vacated a 2020 court decision this past February.

Congress members signing on to the bill include:

Bruce Westerman (AR-04) 

Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) 

Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) 

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) 

Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01)

Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) 

Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-AL) 

Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-04)  

Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01)

Congressman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) 

The bill also has support from the Colorado Livestock Association, Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Colorado Farm Bureau, the Mid States Wool Growers Association, Safari Club International, and the National Rifle Association.

Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany discusses his new bill to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act with Brownfield’s Larry Lee 5/17/22

.