USFWS director says federal protections for wolves will be removed by end of year
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson
Aurelia Skipwith told the Associated Press in an interview this week that her agency is “working hard” to lift federal protections for gray wolves across the lower 48 states by the end of this year. Photo by David Osborn/Alamy Stock Photo
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting American wildlife, is getting closer to allowing trophy hunters and cattle ranchers to open season on the gray wolf, one of our nation’s most iconic—as well as most persecuted—animals.
USFWS director Aurelia Skipwith told the Associated Press in an interview this week that her agency is “working hard” to lift federal protections for gray wolves across the lower 48 states by the end of this year. “I’d say it’s very imminent,” she added.
The USFWS last year proposed a rule removing these protections: a rule nearly two million Americans opposed in comments to the agency because removing wolves from the ESA at this time could be disastrous for the long-term survival of these animals.
Skipwith claims that wolves have “biologically recovered” and that their removal from the list would demonstrate the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act: a false claim in itself, because the ESA requires that a species be recovered throughout a larger portion of its historic range to be taken off the list; wolves now inhabit approximately 15% of their historic range in the contiguous United States.
What Skipwith conveniently left out of that interview is the real reason these protections are being removed: as a handout to trophy hunters and the meat industry who have long wanted such an outcome and now have a close ally in the agency. Skipwith, who was appointed director in December last year, has had no reservations about aligning herself openly with trophy hunting interests and earlier this year she was a speaker at the annual convention of Safari Club International, one of the world’s largest gathering of trophy hunters.
Scientists have warned that the FWS proposal to delist wolves does not represent the best available science on wolf conservation. What’s more, if wolves were delisted, states will be empowered with managing wolves on their lands, and we already know what that will look like.
In 2011, Congress directed the USFWS to remove ESA protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho, as a nod to agriculture and trophy hunting interests. Wolves in Wyoming were also delisted in 2017. These decisions have led to thousands of wolves being massacred across these states, using exceptionally cruel methods like being chased down by GPS-collared hounds, being caught in steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares, and even being run down with snowmobiles or large trucks.
Altogether, nearly 6,000 wolves have been killed in these and the Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, where federal protections for wolves were removed in 2011 until a successful HSUS lawsuit returned them to the endangered species list in 2014. Of the nearly 1,500 wolves killed before our suit brought a stop to the vicious recreational hunting, trapping, snaring and hounding that was allowed during that period, many were just pups. If federal protections were to be lifted now, these are the animals who would be most at risk of being wiped out again. We simply cannot let that happen.
The beauty of a wolf inspires awe and admiration in most hearts; these are highly sentient animals with close family ties. We also rely on wolves to keep our environment in balance. These keystone native carnivores play a critical role in the ecosystems they inhabit, driving biodiversity and restoring balance. They help keep deer and elk herds strong by removing sick, weak and old animals and help reduce the spread of disease among those species, including chronic wasting disease.
On the other hand, there is no evidence that wolves pose a serious threat to livestock—which is the excuse the USFWS has most often cited for delisting them. In a report last year, Humane Society of the United States researchers compared livestock losses data released by state agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, and the USFWS, and found that the federal data was highly exaggerated and that wolves accounted for less than 1% of cattle and sheep losses in the states where they live.
The USFWS’s attack on wolves may be one of its worst actions in recent years, but it’s hardly the only one; the agency has been working assiduously to dismantle the Endangered Species Act itself. But Skipwith would do well to remember that her job is to make policies in the best interests of all Americans and American wildlife; not for the benefit of a handful of special interests. We urge her to toss this disastrous plan before it’s too late. Wolves have a powerful ally in the majority of Americans who value them and want to see them protected; with their support, we stand ready to fight with all of our might against this shameless abuse of power.
Sara Amundson is president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
Please protect our wolves and all our wildlife!
That s just the latest shameful plan from the people appointed by the Trump administration…which is by far the most disastrous for environment and nature in the US ever….
I see where you’re coming from, but this issue has been going on long before Trump and will go on long after he’s gone. Furthermore, in terms of wolves, I’d have to say that it was worse in the 19th century, when the federal government paid people to kill all the wolves in the United States. So this issue is far from the worst environmental disaster in US history.
If you remember wolves were delisted in 2011 during the Obama
Administration. A rider was slipped into a must pass budget bill
by John Tester, Democratic U.S. Senator from Montana. In order
to get the votes he needed to win, he appeased the ranchers,
cattlemen and wolf hating hunters. The states of Idaho and
Montana and later Wyoming are incapable of responsible
wolf management. It’s all about votes not principles or
science during elections and our nations wildlife suffers for it.
This is unacceptable! All animals deserve to live naturally and be protected in their natural environment.
I am really against wolf hunting for the benefit of trophy hunters which all this is. In MI we voted in 2014 against wolf hunting overwhelmingly. In 2013 there was a wolf hunt and 23 wolves were killed. We had a great petition drive. This was all done under a GOP, Gov Snyder. So remember where the cons stand on this. Horrible.
I live in Grand Rapids, MI. and was one of the volunteers getting
signatures for Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, twice. The positive
response by our citizens was amazing. Yes, Snyder was our
governor, he was good for business, but after thousands of calls
to his office in defense on our wolves he ignored the voice of the
people. MLive had an investigation going on for several months
exposing the many false accusations of wolf haters.
We need people to stop the delisting before it proceeds.
Is there anything we citizens can do to stop USFWS’ push to dismantle the Endangered Species Act? I feel so powerless against these agencies that are TASKED with protecting our wildlife being allowed to destroy it. How can we get the word out louder and stronger?
Aurelia skipwith is a typical trophy hunter. It is absolutely notbearable what she is doing to wolves and to endangered species
Ah, finally an article about this issue that actually cites sources. Thank you for doing so. I agree with most of what you’ve said but I have to throw this in there that what they’re proposing is to delist wolves nationwide, so this includes states where there are no wolf populations. It doesn’t make a difference to wolf populations if they are delisted in say, Tennessee, where they don’t exist. People make it sound like delisting them nationwide is going to be a huge issue when we really should be talking about it based on where the wolves actually are. For example, in Colorado they’ve recently confirmed a stable population so now they’re undergoing conservation discussions. For the record, I’m very against trophy hunting, especially of wolves, but I always want to point out that the ESA is already flawed because it protects wolves in states where they don’t need protection.
What can we do to help these magnificent animals? Is the job of this woman Aurleia Skipwith a position appointed by the president or an elected official?
Appointed by TRUMP and his TROPHY HUNTING SONS!!!!!
Animal abuse already brought us corona.How much longer will man challenge nature.Believe me,nature is patience but always takes revenge.Stop killing wolves and keep them federal protected!
I have one question, WHY? What have these beautiful animals done to receive such treatment. It’s the circle of life, the strong shall survive.
How can a trophy hunter be appointed as director of USFWS? It’s shameful! How can you allow these abusive hunting practices against these or any animal?
I agree with most of you we have to PROTECT our wildlife (Grey Wolfe’s/Black Bears)from Big Game Trophy Hunter’s. But, we ALSO have to protect them from President TRUMP!!!!! TRUMP, IS ALLOWING HIS RICH FRIENDS AND TROPHY HUNTERS TO GO INTO WILDLIFE DENS WHILE THEY ARE HIBERNATING IN THEIR DENS, NOT ONLY KILLING THE GROWN SPCIES, BUT ALSO KILLING THE BABY CUBS AND PUPS OF OUR WILDLIFE!!!!! (PLEASE HELP PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE FROM PRESIDENT “TRUMP”/ HIS FRIENDS AND THESE TROPHY HUNTERS)!!!!! OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN , AND THEIR CHILDREN DESERVE TO SEE THE BEAUTY OF THIS WILDLIFE!!!!!
The wolves protection is necessary – please hear on the scientists.
Have a heart for wolves and save their lives!
I see a lot of disagreements and some blame going on but the bottom line is there anything we can do to get Skipwith and the USFWS to stop from lifting this ban on wolves?
The Injustice of the Innocent & Voiceless! All animals deserve lives free from human-inflicted suffering. As the highest created being, humans have a moral obligation to be wise stewards of animals. Just because we happen to be the most powerful species on earth, we humans have the ability, but not the right, to abuse the so-called lower animals. The ends do NOT justify the means!
We all know that there is something seriously wrong with a system where the best day of an animal’s life is the day that it is finally over!
Every Living Creature deserves the Right to Live as Nature has intended.
Not only do animal victims deserve to be free from abuse and neglect, but numerous studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and violence toward people—animal cruelty impacts community safety.
If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
This is not Conservation, this is an evil act so horrible and painful against innocent animals. How sad that the US still allows this animal abuse and killing!
THE TRUMP BOYS HAVE TO GET THEIR TROPHIES!!!!!!
When people without empathy,love and respect become director of an organization that claims to protect wildlife disaster happens.Because what in Gods holy name is wrong with you if you use gruesome painful traps and snares to hunt animals like wolves?Where is your heart?This Skipwith only has a heart for money and she couldn’t care less about animal welfare.And where is her respect for the biologists who worked so hard to reintroduce wolves in America back in 1995?Believe me people.When people have money in mind no living being is safe on this planet.Look what is still happening to rhinos and elephants,tigers and many other wildlife species.But the difference here is that the wolfslaughter is legal and now they are on the brink of extinction again in the US.Because the number of murdered wolves since 2011 is unbelievable.All because narrow minded ranchers and stupid trophy hunters are dictating politics and the usfws.But they have forgotten that most Americans love wolves.But usfws doesn’t listen to them.Instead they keep on killing wolves,mountain lions,bears,lynx and way too many deer.Do not believe the lies that wolves kill all deer or livestock.Human hunters just want to hunt even more deer and don’t allow competition.This usfws is nothing but a arrogant organization with money in minds and no respect for beautiful wildlife.Otherwise they wouldn’t destroy it.It is outrageous and disgusting “management”done by heartless people.Nature never needed to be managed.Animals keep their own numbers in check and were doing fine without people.And if your country has laws to protect animals let those laws also count for wild animals.It is very hypocritical to protect pets but at the same time they can use steel trapps and painful other methods to hurt wildlife.All animals matter.ALL.