Today, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) for failing to respond to two petitions to delist wolves in the Western Great Lakes region.
On June 29, 2023, Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, along with Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, filed two petitions with the FWS. The first petition requested that FWS recognize and delist wolves in the Western Great Lakes states—Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota (including areas in adjoining states). These wolves have long surpassed their recovery goals. FWS determined that these wolves were no longer threatened and delisted them in 2011. That decision was overturned by a federal court in the District of Columbia despite arguments that Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation made as intervenors in the case.
The second petition asks the FWS to downlist the West Coast wolves—those found in Western Washington, Western Oregon and California from endangered to threatened. This petition serves as a blueprint for a way to successfully delist the wolves in accordance with the District of Columbia court’s prior decision.
“These wolves have been recovered for over a decade. We just got a report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources further confirming this two weeks ago,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel for Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “But the states’ hands are tied because of the listing status. These petitions give FWS a way to turn wolf management back over to the states and to focus conservation resources on other species that need it more.”
The Endangered Species Act requires the FWS to act on these petitions within a year. FWS failed to do so, despite already being notified that they missed their preliminary 90-day-finding deadline. “FWS has had enough time to consider these petitions. Our next step is to go to court to force them to act, and this notice is the first step in that process,” Jean concluded.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance and its supporting Foundation protect and defend America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. The organization accomplishes this mission through several distinct programs, including public education, advocacy, litigation and research. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
