New Report Highlights Greater Sage-Grouse and Wolves as Conservation Priorities for Trump Administration
The Endangered Species Coalition released its annual “Top 10” report today, which highlights the conservation status of threatened and endangered plant and animal species around the world and the actions the incoming Trump administration can take to protect each species listed in the report, including sage-grouse and wolves. Defenders of Wildlife has worked to conserved and restore both species for many years.
This year’s report, Removing the Walls to Recovery: Top 10 Species Priorities for a New Administration, profiles ten species ranging from the mighty jaguar to the diminutive vaquita, an endangered porpoise that lives in the Gulf of California. These imperiled flora and fauna are the vanguard of a historic, human-caused seen around the world. This is sobering news, but there is hope. We still have time to save our natural heritage.
Ensuring a Future for Wolves
For wolves, the new administration and Congress must recommit to using the best available science to recover populations across the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must release additional Mexican and Red Wolves from captivity onto suitable public lands and develop effective recovery plans for both subspecies. Based on a recent court settlement, FWS should be publishing the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan in November 2017, providing a blueprint for the recovery of the most endangered gray wolf in the world. The administration must also oppose any efforts to weaken Endangered Species Act protections of wolves and other imperiled species.
Going Forward on Sage-Grouse 
For the greater sage-grouse, the Trump administration must fully implement the current federal conservation plans for the species. These new plans represent an unprecedented effort by the federal government, states, landowners and other stakeholders to protect the grouse and its habitat. Weakening or abandoning the federal plans would threaten sage-grouse and hundreds of other species that depend on sagebrush grasslands. The new administration must also vigorously oppose any congressional attempts to discard the federal conservation plans in favor of inadequate state strategies.
Wildlife Conservation: An All-American Value
The next president will face daunting challenges — and excellent opportunities — in many areas that affect the lives of every American, including the conservation, protection and sound management of our unparalleled wealth of wildlife and wild lands. Fortunately, our country has a long and distinguished history of committed conservationism on which our new president can build to meet the challenges ahead. Conservation-minded presidents — Republican and Democratic — have worked to fulfill and strengthen our national commitment to protecting our environment. The Trump administration must honor our nation’s deep conservation legacy and the continuing commitment of passionate wildlife advocates like you and preserve our national wildlife heritage for years to come.
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