Today, Ranking Republican Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn.) released the following statements on the “American Wild Game and Livestock Protection Act.” Introduced today, the legislation would require the Secretary of the Interior to delist the gray wolf from Endangered Species Act protections in the lower 48 states and enable states to enact their own rules regarding management of gray wolf populations.

“I’m happy to co-lead with Congressman Peterson on introducing this critical piece of bipartisan legislation. Gray wolves have been recovered for a long time now, and this bill will bring finality to the issue by allowing states to manage their population.” – Ranking Republican Rob Bishop (R-Utah)

“Gray wolf populations have reached sustainable levels and it is well past time to return authority over their management to the states. This bipartisan legislation will allow states to protect the livelihood of their livestock owners and preserve a healthy balance of wild animal populations.” – U.S. Representative Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn.)

Background:

Management of the gray wolf population was transferred from the state to the federal level following two 2014 U.S. District Court decisions that reinstated gray wolves under the protections of the Endangered Species Act. This legislation would require the Secretary of the Interior to delist the gray wolf from Endangered Species Act protections in the lower 48 states by finalizing the proposed rule entitled “Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis 7 lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife” (84 Fed. Reg. 9648 (March 15, 4 2019)) and make the issuance of the rule not subject to judicial review.

Read bill text HERE.