Farm Groups Seek to Appeal Efforts to Reinstate Gray Wolf on Endangered Species List

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Public Lands Council, American Sheep Industry Association and American Farm Bureau are able to intervene in a recent court case that delisted the gray wolf as an Endangered Species. The case, Defenders of Wildlife v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the animal was prematurely removed from the list in February 2022.

The gray wolf has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1974 and has seen tremendous recovery including population increases of 300%. Protections were previously removed for wolves in the northern Rockies under the Trump administration in November 2020. Farm groups note that livestock producers are impacted significantly by the species management decision and that the group’s agenda to protect livestock differs greatly from other groups eyeing recreational hunting opportunities.

Read more on the court case centered on gray wolves here.