A new survey found there is strong support for continued wolf protections across the United States. The survey, conducted by Drs. John Vucetich and Jeremy Bruskotter, was implemented in July and August 2025 to assess the attitudes of residents of the contiguous United States as they pertain to continued gray wolf protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  

Over 1,000 participants from a wide range of socio-demographic backgrounds were asked a series of questions about wolves, ESA protections, and wolf hunting.  

Key findings:  

• 78% expressed support for continued protection of gray wolves under the ESA 

• 75% of rural residents in states with known wolf populations (MI, WI, MN, WA, OR, ID, MT, WY) support continued protection of gray wolves  

• 79% of people who self-identified as farmers/ranchers support continued protection of gray wolves 

• For every person who strongly opposes continued protection, there are more than nine people who strongly support continued protection 

These findings come at a critical crossroads for wolves in the United States – there’s a bill (H.R. 845) in the House that would strip protections for gray wolves nationwide, and a similarly worded rider was included in the FY26 House Interior Appropriations bill.  

Members of Congress have already disregarded science and ethics in their attempts to forcibly delist gray wolves, but now they’re ignoring the desires of their constituents and the American public as well.  

Urge your Member of Congress to OPPOSE any bills that would remove federal protections for gray wolves.  

Background 

Gray wolves were listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in 1974. In the decades since, there have been attempts to strip protections before wolves have truly recovered across a significant portion of their historical range. In 2011, Congress removed ESA protections for gray wolves in Montana, Idaho, and portions of Washington, Oregon, and Utah via a rider attached to the Interior Appropriations bill. In 2017, wolves in Wyoming lost federal protections. In 2020, the first Trump administration removed gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act in 44 states, an action that was reversed by a federal judge in 2022. In 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced their intent to develop a National Recovery Plan for gray wolves in the lower 48 states. In 2025, a federal judge vacated FWS’ decision denying ESA protections for gray wolves in the western US, asserting FWS failed to consider the best available science, historical range, and impacts of state management on wolf populations.