The Fish and Wildlife Service now says that it won’t prepare plans for recovering the gray wolf because the agency has concluded the iconic mammal no longer requires Endangered Species Act protections.
In a report dated Nov. 3, the federal agency explained that the plans are not necessary for the wolves currently listed as endangered in 44 states and threatened in Minnesota.
“Both listed gray wolf entities are no longer in need of conservation under the Act due to recovery,” the FWS reported. “We therefore conclude that recovery plans for these two entities would not promote their conservation.”
The decision is the latest wrinkle in the ongoing fight over the gray wolf’s listing under the ESA, and marks a sharp reversal from a FWS initiative during the Biden administration. In February of 2024, the Biden-era FWS announced it would develop a first-ever nationwide gray wolf recovery plan by Dec. 12, 2025.
