HELENA — The U.S. House has narrowly approved a bill that would remove gray wolves from the federal endangered species list across the country.
The bill passed Thursday on a 211-204 vote, with all but four Republicans voting in favor and all but five Democrats opposed. It will now go to the Senate for consideration.
The bill would require the federal government to move forward with delisting wolves across the contiguous United States, as the Trump administration initially proposed in 2020. It also includes language intended to prevent the delisting from being challenged in court.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, sponsored the bill. Supporters argued growing wolf numbers have threatened livestock and pets.
Wolves are already delisted in Montana, as well as Idaho, Wyoming and parts of Oregon and Washington. In 2011, lawmakers, including then-Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, added a provision to a budget bill that declared gray wolves in the northern Rockies a “distinct population segment” and removed their federal endangered status. That means states like Montana have been managing wolf populations within their borders. However, environmental groups have gone to federal court, arguing that delisting should be reconsidered.
Montana U.S. Rep. Troy Downing was a cosponsor of Boebert’s bill.
“As written, the ESA makes the gray wolf out to be a liability to avoid, not a resource to be protected,” he said in a statement. “It is critical that we trust the science and look towards a more precise conservation approach when dealing with unique populations. I was proud to support this measure today and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
The state’s other House member, Rep. Ryan Zinke, also voted for it.
“The ESA was created to protect endangered animals, not to be weaponized for a radical agenda by activist judges,” he said in a social media post. “The last four administrations have all agreed that the gray wolf has recovered. Let’s follow the science and Montana’s lead and delist.”
Environmental groups criticized the legislation, saying it would risk decades of progress in recovering gray wolf populations.
“Despite the decades of effort invested in wolf recovery, broad public support for continued Endangered Species Act listing, and clear scientific evidence for protections to remain, this vote puts wolves in the crosshairs,” said Addie Haughey, legislative director for lands, wildlife and oceans at Earthjustice, in a statement. “Congress need only look to the disastrous 2021 Wisconsin wolf hunt that killed up to a third of the state’s wolves in one season to know that delisting wolves would jeopardize the species’ continued recovery.”
Wolf management remains a hot topic in Montana. In August, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission increased the number of wolves that can be harvested statewide. In October, a pair of state lawmakers sued, claiming the commission wasn't doing enough to reduce the wolf population.
