Tom Tiffany Moves to Reclassify Gray Wolves
The Northwoods’ congressman is once again looking to take the gray wolf off the endangered species list.
Congressman Tom Tiffany on Friday joined with Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert to try and delist the gray wolf.
“Scientific data, coupled with the rise in wolf attacks in Wisconsin, confirms that the gray wolf population has exceeded recovery goals. Yet, activist judges continue to disregard these facts, leaving livestock, pets, wildlife, and communities vulnerable to further harm,” Tiffany said.
Wisconsin has seen its wolf population spike from just a few hundred in 2000, to well over 1,000 at last count.
The Wisconsin DNR says "the number of pack-associated wolves was estimated between 812 and 1,193 within the pack-occupied range, with the most likely estimate being 972 wolves. The total number of packs was estimated to be between 243 and 352 packs, with a most likely value of 288 packs."
Tiffany’s Pet and Livestock Protection Act would start to lower those numbers by removing federal protections for gray wolves, and allowing states to set their own rules for wolf hunting.
“The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore management to those who understand local needs best – state wildlife officials – and ensure that out-of-state judges can no longer dictate how Wisconsin manages its wolf population,” Tiffany added.
Wisconsin has not had a wolf hunt since 2021. That year the DNR opened a wolf hunting season, and hunters and trapped hit the state’s imposed-limits in just 72 hours. In all, the DNR said, 218 wolves were taken in that hunt.
Wisconsin’s new wolf management plan will not even consider another hunt until the state’s wolf population tops 1,200.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau president Brad Olson gray wolves should be removed from the endangered species list, not just to hunt them. But to recognize that conservation projects like returning wolves to the wild have worked.
“Gray wolves have made a remarkable recovery, far exceeding the population goals set when they were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Their removal from the list is a success story and should be celebrated as a testament to the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act,” Olson said. “Now, it's time to allow Wisconsin to manage wolves at the state level, where we can ensure a balanced approach that protects our farmers, rural communities, and the ecosystem as a whole.”
Tiffany said the Pet and Livestock Protection Act passed the last Congress, and he hopes it will pass once again this year.
Wisconsin’s other Republican members of Congress have all also signed-on as co-sponsors.
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