Advocates Sue U.S. Government , to Make Decision , on Wolf Protections.
On August 9, wildlife advocates sued federal officials for
missing a deadline to decide if protections for grey
wolves should be restored in the Rocky Mountains.
The Associated Press reports
that many Republican-led states have
made it easier to hunt and kill the predators.
The increase in hunting
poses a potential threat
to wolves across the region.
Last September, the Biden administration said that protections for wolves may need to be restored
due to increased hunting in Idaho and Montana.
Last September, the Biden administration said that protections for wolves may need to be restored
due to increased hunting in Idaho and Montana.
After missing the deadline, advocates urged
a Montana judge to force federal officials
to make a final decision on the matter.
By the 1930s, wolves had been nearly exterminated
across most of the U.S. under government-sponsored
poisoning and trapping campaigns.
In the 1990s, grey wolves
were reintroduced from Canada
into the northern U.S. Rockies. .
Since being reintroduced, growing populations in
wilderness areas across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
have expanded to Oregon, Washington and California.
In 2021, Republican governors in Idaho and Montana
signed laws that loosened laws restricting
when, where and how wolves can be killed. .
Advocates fear increased hunting
has the potential to reduce wolf
populations to below sustainable levels