Today members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released a new funding bill that includes riders which would:

1) Make wolves fair game for trophy hunting and trapping again in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. In addition to permanently removing federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves in the above mentioned states, the rider includes language that prohibits its judicial review, thus preventing any legal challenge.

2) Block funding for Endangered Species Act protections for ALL gray wolves in the lower 48 states – including the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf. Currently, there is a single wild population of this critically endangered gray wolf subspecies comprising only 113 individuals.

Beyond being anti-wolf, these toxic riders undermine the integrity of the Endangered Species Act – the world’s “gold standard” for conservation and protection of animals.

Stay tuned for updates.