President Trump Removes Grey Wolf Endangered Species Protections Across Lower 48 States

President Donald Trump's administration has formally removed the grey wolf from the US Endangered Species Act, ending federal protections for the animal throughout the lower 48 states. The decision transfers management authority to individual states and tribal governments, permitting hunting and trapping in areas where it was previously restricted.

This policy shift follows earlier delistings in specific regions, including the Northern Rockies in 2011 and the Great Lakes in 2012. Ranching and farming organisations have long lobbied for the removal of federal oversight, arguing that wolf populations have recovered sufficiently and pose a threat to livestock. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Trump administration, concurred, asserting that the grey wolf no longer meets the criteria for endangered or threatened status.

Environmental and wildlife conservation groups have vehemently opposed the move, characterising it as politically motivated and premature. They contend that while wolf numbers have increased in some areas, the species has yet to re-establish a stable presence across its historic range, with significant populations still absent in many Western states. Legal challenges are anticipated, with conservationists arguing the decision disregards scientific evidence and could jeopardise the long-term viability of wolf populations that have only recently begun to recover.