WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) led 30 members of Congress in reintroducing legislation to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, ensure that action is not subject to judicial review, and restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act passed the House of Representatives last Congress on a bipartisan basis, but was held up in the Democrat-led Senate.
Rep. Tom Tiffany said, “Scientific data, coupled with the rise in wolf attacks in Wisconsin, confirms that the gray wolf population has exceeded recovery goals. Yet, activist judges continue to disregard these facts, leaving livestock, pets, wildlife, and communities vulnerable to further harm. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore management to those who understand local needs best – state wildlife officials – and ensure that out-of-state judges can no longer dictate how Wisconsin manages its wolf population.”
“Gray wolves are threatening the livelihoods of our ranchers and farmers with attacks on livestock because our agriculture community has their hands tied by out-of-date policies and progressive legal activism. This bill enacts a common-sense solution shared by administrations of both parties and prioritizes the strength of our agriculture community over predators. I’m proud to join with Rep. Tiffany again on this important legislation for our farmers and ranchers and deliver a major victory for our country’s agriculture community,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert.
Background:
The Pet and Livestock Protection Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the 2020 Department of the Interior final rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 United States. It also ensures this rule cannot be overturned through judicial review, preventing activist judges, like the California judge who vacated the rule in 2022, from relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.
In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under President Trump delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latest Endangered Species Act (ESA) success story with significant population recoveries in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions.
Despite clear evidence of recovery, a California judge overturned the rule in 2022, relisting the gray wolf under the ESA. Since then, wolf attacks in Wisconsin have increased for the third consecutive year. There have been numerous gray wolf attacks in Wisconsin’s Seventh District over the last few years. You can view some examples here, here, here, and here (warning of graphic content).
30 Members of Congress cosponsored the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, including: Reps. Nick Begich (AK-At-Large), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Jeff Crank (CO-05), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Troy Downing (MT-02), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Harriet Hagemann (WY-At-Large), Andy Harris (MD-01), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Mike Kennedy (UT-03), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Scott Perry (PA-10), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and Tony Wied (WI-08).
Stakeholders that support the Pet and Livestock Protection Act include: American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Hunter Nation, International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Blacktail Deer Foundation, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Wool Growers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association.
“For too long, politicized species management decisions have allowed predators like the gray wolf to run rampant in rural communities, posing a threat to livestock and pets alike,” said Garrett Edmonds, director of PLC and NCBA Government Affairs. “The science shows that the gray wolf has recovered, but the proper delisting of the gray wolf has been held up in litigation. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act would finally remedy this problem and allow for better management of the wolf while also protecting rural communities. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council are proud to support this bill, and we thank Representatives Tiffany and Boebert for supporting rural America.”
“The NRA thanks Representatives Boebert and Tiffany for introducing the Pet and Livestock Protection Act,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “This important legislation would not only allow states to better control the wolf population unique to each state, but would also benefit hunters by enabling them to play a more active role in wildlife management.”
“SCI has been advocating for the delisting of wolves for more than 20 years, so we emphatically support the Pet and Livestock Protection Act,” said SCI Deputy Director of Advocacy Chris Tymeson. “Delisting and appropriate state-based wolf management, as laid out in this proposed bill, are endorsed by the best available wildlife science, U.S states with significant wolf populations, and the local residents of those states who are affected by wolves. Only special interest groups that fundraise off wolves oppose delisting. We applaud Congress for finally seeking to implement the ESA’s original intent through this legislation.”
“The recovery of the gray wolf is an incredible conservation success story that should be celebrated,” said Keith Mark, the Founder and President of Hunter Nation. “This legislation allows each state to manage the now recovered wolf population just as they manage all other wildlife within the state. The best part of this legislation is the provision that prevents judicial review of the legislative action which will preclude anti-hunting groups from interfering with sound, science based conservation in court.”
"We need to return wolf management to the states where it belongs and ensure that these decisions are based on science, not politics. Congressman Tiffany’s bill will prevent activist judges who’ve never seen a wolf, let alone lived among them from interfering and instead empower local experts to manage our wildlife responsibly,” said Luke Hilgemann, Executive Director IOTR.
“Despite far exceeding ESA population recovery goals, and a proven record of successful management of gray wolves by state wildlife agencies, the endless circle of scientific delisting and judicial reinstatements has resulted in a need to legislatively delist gray wolves. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act codifies that the primary management authority of recovered gray wolves resides with our state wildlife agencies, and we thank Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members Reps. Tiffany and Boebert for leading this legislation,” said Taylor Schmitz, Director of Federal Relations for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.
“The Mule Deer Foundation and Blacktail Deer Foundation support wildlife management practices grounded in sound science. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently determined that the gray wolf (Canis lupus) no longer meets the criteria for listing under the Endangered Species Act. We support efforts to return management of the gray wolf to individual states. States that currently manage gray wolf populations have shown they are capable of maintaining sustainable wolf numbers,” said Greg Sheehan, CEO for the Mule Deer Foundation and Blacktail Deer Foundation.
“The US Fish and Wildlife Service delisted wolves in the Lower 48 states twice in the last decade and a half – during the Obama administration in 2011 and the Trump administration in 2020. Both times, judges intervened to invalidate the process despite agreement among scientists, biologists and professional wildlife managers that wolf populations are stable and growing and should return to state management. State wildlife agencies sustainably manage thousands of species without federal interference, and several states in the northern Rockies are successfully managing wolves because Congress took action to protect their delisting from activist judges. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supports the Pet and Livestock Protection Act to return wolf management to all states. We thank Representatives Tiffany and Boebert for sponsoring this legislation,” said Blake Henning, Chief Conservation Officer, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
“The science is clear—gray wolves have made a remarkable recovery, far exceeding the population goals set when they were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Their removal from the list is a success story and should be celebrated as a testament to the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act. Now, it's time to allow Wisconsin to manage wolves at the state level, where we can ensure a balanced approach that protects our farmers, rural communities, and the ecosystem as a whole. Wisconsin Farm Bureau appreciates the work of Con. Tiffany and supports the Pet and Livestock Protection Act which will finally bring will bring much-needed certainty to rural residents, farmers, and livestock owners who have long dealt with the challenges posed by an unmanaged wolf population. It will also provide clarity and consistency for state regulators, ensuring they can respond effectively and responsibly to the needs of both people and wildlife,” said Brad Olson, Wisconsin Farm Bureau President.
“Cattlemen across the state of Wisconsin have faced numerous challenges from the expanding gray wolf population. The most direct impact has been depredation on livestock, but we cannot ignore the secondary impacts such as damage to fences as cattle are chased, interrupted grazing behavior, and reduced fertility rates. Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association is in support of Congressman Tiffany’s Pet and Livestock Protection Act to federally delist the gray wolf, allowing population management to return to the state level. As cattlemen, we need effective solutions to deal with a predator that is causing significant damage to our operations,” said Brady Zuck, Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association.
“The Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association is strongly in favor of any action that would return wolf management to the professionals in the State of Wisconsin. Science has shown now for over a decade that the wolf is recovered in our state. It has only been radical environmental activists that have been able to prevent the delisting that is essential for our state's people that live in wolf country and are adversely affected by our inability to manage the wolf population,” said Carl Schoettel, Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association President.
The full text of themPet and Livestock Protection Act is available here.
Last Update: Jan 31, 2025 10:59 am CST
