The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today announced a denial of proposals that would have removed Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for wolves in various parts of the United States.

The two petitions, brought by anti-wolf, hunting advocacy groups, sought to 1) designate and delist a “Western Great Lakes” wolf population, and 2) designated a “West Coast States” population, downlist it to threatened, and then remove ESA protections for wolves in the remaining lower 48 states. The groups argued that wolves in these regions have surpassed recovery goals.

FWS disagreed, ruling that the petitions “do not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted.” 

“Today’s win is crucial in our continued fight for wolf protections but it’s just that – a win today. We need many more wins to secure a better world for wolves so let’s capitalize on this momentum and keep working,” said the Wolf Conservation Center.

The Dangers of Delisting

Delisting would pave the way for lethal wolf control and state-sanctioned wolf hunting to become predominant management strategies. In 2021, just months after a 2020 gray wolf delisting rule went into effect, Wisconsin pushed through a state-mandated wolf hunt that saw over 216 wolves killed within 60 hours. Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, states where wolves have already lost federal protections, have become increasingly emboldened in their efforts to limit wolf populations to the bare minimum; in the 2025 legislative session, Montana has already introduced several bills that would increase the length of the wolf season and remove hunting quotas.