Gray Wolf Proposal

Gray Wolf Proposal. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

On Friday the Obama Administration proposed to remove the gray wolf from the threatened and endangered species list. The announcement was made from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department and comes after a comprehensive review confirmed its successful recovery following management actions undertaken by federal, state and local partners. Lacy Gray has more.

GRAY: Under the proposal, state wildlife management agency professionals would resume responsibility for management and protection of gray wolves in states where wolves occur. The proposed rule is based on the best science available and incorporates new information about the gray wolf’s current and historical distribution in the contiguous United States and Mexico. It focuses the protection on the Mexican wolf, the only remaining entity that warrants protection under the Act, by designating the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies.

Thanks Lacy. Populations of the gray wolf have rebounded as much as 300% since being declared endangered. Ranchers have been fighting the designation since cattle are often a target of the wolf. In some areas, homeowners pets have even become an easy meal. A 90-day comment period will be opened before a final decision is released. The comment period will commence upon publication of the proposed rules in the Federal Register.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.