The U.S. House of Representatives just passed a bill that could yank federal protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, as Fox News reports.
By a tight vote of 211-204, the House greenlit H.R. 845, dubbed the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, aiming to strip gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act by reviving a 2020 rule from the Trump administration.
For hardworking ranchers in states like Colorado, this could be a lifeline, as they’ve already shelled out $580,000 in losses from wolf attacks in just one year. The legal exposure from restrictive federal rules has tied their hands, preventing practical solutions to protect livestock. This bill, if it clears the Senate, might finally cut through the red tape that’s cost them dearly.
The bill, authored by Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, picked up support from Wyoming’s own Rep. Harriet Hageman among 37 co-sponsors when introduced back on January 31.
It passed largely along party lines, though five Democrats crossed the aisle to vote yes, while four Republicans opposed it, and 18 members didn’t bother to cast a vote at all.
The core of H.R. 845 is a directive to the Department of Interior to reissue that 2020 delisting rule, with a sneaky provision blocking judicial review—meaning no activist judge can slam the brakes on this move.
Now, let’s talk numbers: in Minnesota, where Rep. Pete Stauber says most of the Lower 48’s wolves roam, the population has soared past the 1978 recovery goal of 1,250 to 1,400, hitting over 2,700 today.
Stauber didn’t hold back, stating, “It's been proven time and time again that the gray wolf is not endangered and, in fact, has fully recovered.” Well, if the numbers are that high, why are we still treating these animals like fragile museum pieces instead of managing them sensibly?
Incidents like a wolf spotted in a school parking lot in Ely, Minnesota, just feet from the door, underscore the real risks of overprotection—nothing could be done to safeguard students due to the current listing status.
Over in Colorado, the pain is palpable, with a Canadian wolf killing a working cattle dog in Jackson County this past March, and a Great Lakes wolf found wandering over 1,000 miles from home in Elbert County last year.
Rep. Boebert pointed out the economic hit, saying, “Colorado's agricultural producers have lost $580,000 in just one year from wolves already introduced.” That’s a gut punch to rural communities—shouldn’t their livelihoods get at least as much consideration as a predator’s roaming rights?
Meanwhile, conservation groups are up in arms, claiming this bill ignores science and threatens a species still needing protection, especially with nearly 4,500 wolves in the Great Lakes and 2,800 in Western states on the line.
History shows this isn’t a new fight—delisting attempts happened under Bush in 2009, Obama in 2013, and Trump in 2020, with activist lawsuits pushing back each time, even as the Biden administration defended the 2020 rule last year.
Wyoming’s already ahead of the curve, with wolves delisted in the northern Rockies, managed through hunting seasons in trophy zones near Yellowstone and unrestricted takes in predator zones if reported within 10 days.
If this bill makes it through the Senate and gets the president’s signature, it could kick in within 60 days, though it does carve out an exemption for the Mexican wolf subspecies— a small nod to balance, perhaps, but will it be enough to quiet the environmentalist outcry?
