US wildlife officials will not reconsider gray wolf protections

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected petitions to change the protected status of gray wolves. This means gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes and West Coast States will keep their current protections under the Endangered Species Act.

For years, the status of gray wolves has been a battleground between conservation groups and states that want to manage wolf populations. This decision means the federal government will not allow states to take over management of wolves in these regions. It keeps the existing federal protections in place, preventing states from hunting or otherwise reducing wolf numbers.