House Subcommittee Launches Attack on America's Wolves

Today the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released a funding bill which includes a rider that blocks funding for Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves in the lower 48 states. In addition, the bill accepts the nearly 17 percent cut in funding to list new species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) proposed in President Trump’s budget.

Statement from Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The House’s dirty budget would gut vital protections for our natural heritage and wildlife, especially for endangered species, including wolves.

“This bill continues the escalating attack on the Endangered Species Act that we have seen since the beginning of 2015 – 160 proposals introduced in Congress that would either remove protections for individual species or otherwise undermine the ESA.

“This wolf rider means certain death for America’s wolves. It forces the Department of the Interior to abdicate its responsibilities for protecting gray wolves, which are currently listed as endangered in much of the contiguous United States. It also disrupts the abilities of other federal agencies to comply with their obligations under the law. It is particularly egregious that this rider would halt all efforts to protect and recover the Mexican gray wolf – the most endangered gray wolf in the world with just 113 in the U.S. and 35 in Mexico.

“This rider makes a mockery of the Endangered Species Act. It leaves America’s wolves sitting in the ESA emergency room and orders our wildlife agencies not to treat them. The drastic cut in funding for new species under the ESA will result in further delays in listing decisions for many deserving species, leading to longer recovery times, or possibly even more extinctions.”