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A federal judge in northern California has ruled that gray wolves must be reinstated on the threatened and endangered species list, overturning a regulatory decision made late in the Trump administration.
The opinion is drawing a range of reactions. State representative Greg Markkanen says the judge is not aware of facts on the ground for the Upper Midwest.
The Republican legislature has introduced an advisory council to manage wolves in the UP, and intends for a hunt to be okayed to help with population control. Markkanen says those efforts are now moot, pending an appeal.
The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition is cheering the decision, but acknowledges the fight over the issue is not complete. “UPEC will be closely following further developments, and will continue to advocate for federal protection of gray wolves in Michigan and elsewhere. Should wolves again be delisted, UPEC will continue to argue that there is no credible scientific basis for a so-called recreational season on wolves in Michigan.”
The UPEC also points out that the ruling does not apply to several western states, such as Idaho and Montana. The organization calls management efforts there ruthless persecution.
