Interior Secretary Slammed Over Inaction to Protect Gray Wolves

THINK

Jan 23

As hunters continue to decimate gray wolf populations in the Northern Rockies, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland faces growing criticism for refusing to enact emergency protection for the species.

Credit: Seney Natural History Association

As the death toll of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies continues to climb, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio has voiced his disappointment over Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s refusal to issue an emergency reinstatement of Endangered Species Act protections for the species.

The Oregon representative and dozens of other lawmakers came together last month to urge Haaland to grant temporary federal protections to prevent further “mass killings” of gray wolves in Rocky Mountain states where new anti-wolf legislation is “jeopardizing the species”.

But, as of now, Haaland is refusing to commit to declaring an emergency relisting to protect gray wolves despite assuring DeFazio that she understood his concerns regarding the current slaughter of gray wolves, according to a statement by DeFazio released on Wednesday.

“Secretary Haaland has the power to immediately relist the gray wolf using emergency authority, and I strongly urged her to take this action,” said DeFazio. “I am disappointed she has chosen to delay this vital action to stop the slaughter. It has taken decades to bring this species back from near extinction. Their survival depends on her immediate action. If the Administration fails to act now, we may not have another chance to save the gray wolf.”

The Trump administration ended federal endangered species protections for the gray wolf in late 2020. Following this, multiple states rapidly passed laws that have led to the widespread slaughter of wolves including pups. Idaho introduced legislation that could slash its wolf population by 90 percent, while Montana’s new laws could see 85 percent of its wolf population wiped out. Just recently, nearly 20 percent of Yellowstone National Park’s wolves were slaughtered after wandering across the park’s border, where they are protected, into Montana, Idaho, and Wymong. This is the highest number of wolves killed in a single hunting season since they were reintroduced to the park over 25 years ago.

“Entire packs are getting killed,” says Suzanne Asha Stone, cofounder of the Wood River Wolf Project in Idaho. “It's not wolf hunting anymore. This is an eradication campaign to decimate the wolf population.”

A formal, year-long status review of gray wolves across the western United States began in September after several emergency petitions were sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), calling for the wolves to be relisted as an endangered species. However, due to the enormous death toll that only continues to rise, campaigners, scientists, and representatives have urged Haaland to relist the gray wolf on an emergency basis to protect the species for 240 days until the FWS issue the results of their review. The Secretary’s emergency authority means that she can do so overnight.

“I am frankly dumbfounded that she would not invoke emergency relisting now. Waiting until next September to determine if gray wolves should be relisted does nothing to protect them in the interim,” said DeFazio.

Interior Department Communications Director Melissa Schwartz shared a statement on Wednesday saying Haaland appreciated the opportunity to talk with DeFazio.

“Under Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Department will address the status of the gray wolf and all species according to the science and the law, and will continue to evaluate all options for doing so,” she said.