By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado 4th, and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc. 7th, have introduced the Pet and Livestock Protection Act to delist the gray wolf from the endangered species list and prioritize the safety and success of America’s agriculture community.
The bill would also remove the ability of a judge to rule against science, and allow states to set their own rules and regulations for the management of grey wolves.
Ranchers, hunters and many people across the west who want to protect their livelihoods of their neighbors are finally feeling heard. There is no place more than Colorado’s West Slope that supports this measure.
In response to the proposed bill, Laurie J. from New Mexico said on social media, “Thank God, our communities have suffered massive depredation for decades now. It’s time to slow that down. We are under no illusion that the wolves will be gone, but we should have the right to protect our livestock.”
Glenn Gaasche of Grand Junction posted his appreciation for the proposed bill by writing, “I couldn’t agree more, wolves are extremely hard on wildlife and agriculture. Wolves are not endangered in any sense of the word. In every state and in every instance the introduction of wolves has been a disaster. Just today, Montana released the Yellowstone elk count which is at 23 percent of what it once was prior to wolf introduction.”
In her introduction of the legislation, Boebert said, “Gray wolves are threatening the livelihoods of our ranchers and farmers with attacks on livestock because our agriculture community has their hands tied by out-of-date policies and progressive legal activism. This bill enacts a common-sense solution shared by administrations of both parties and prioritizes the strength of our agriculture community over predators. I’m proud to join with Rep. Tiffany again on this important legislation for our farmers and ranchers and deliver a major victory for our country’s agriculture community.”
According to the press release, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the 2020 Department of the Interior final rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 United States. The bill also is supported by 30 members of Congress who signed on as sponsors for the bill. To advance out of the U.S. House, it would need to gain support of 218 members.
The bill also ensures this rule cannot be overturned through judicial review, preventing activist judges, like the California judge who vacated the rule in 2022, from relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.
The press release reads, “In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service under President Trump delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latest Endangered Species Act (ESA) success story with significant population recoveries in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions.”
Despite clear evidence of recovery, a California judge overturned the rule in 2022, relisting the gray wolf under the ESA. In Colorado, foreign gray wolves have been imported in from Canada despite strong pushback from local stakeholders and confusion about how to fund wolf depredation claims, according to the press release.
“Scientific data, coupled with the rise in wolf attacks in Wisconsin, confirms that the gray wolf population has exceeded recovery goals. Yet, activist judges continue to disregard these facts, leaving livestock, pets, wildlife and communities vulnerable to further harm. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore management to those who understand local needs best – state wildlife officials – and ensure that out-of-state judges can no longer dictate how Wisconsin manages its wolf population,” Tiffany said.
Clearly this is not good news for everyone. In their posting on social media, the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC), an environmental group founded by Hélène Grimaud, a French pianist and environmental activist based in South Salem New York, is in full meltdown.
“The bill, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, relies on misinformation and fear in its attempt to delist wolves and prevent judicial review. When wolves lost protection in 2021, Wisconsin held a wolf hunt where 200 wolves were killed,” says the WCC post.
Adrianna Pop, of Portland, Ore., responding to the WCC post said, “This is so devastating. With a stroke of a pen, they will reverse years of fighting for protection.”
Jerry Harr from Illinois said, “{SIC} Cattle industry once again complaining about wolves. I’d like to know how many more head of cattle they have over the years, and the percentage of wolf kills.”
The 30 members of Congress who co-sponsored the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, are as follows: Reps. Nick Begich (AK-At-Large), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Jeff Crank (CO-05), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Troy Downing (MT-02), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Harriet Hagemann (WY-At-Large), Andy Harris (MD-01), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Mike Kennedy (UT-03), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Scott Perry (PA-10), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and Tony Wied (WI-08).
Stakeholders that support the Pet and Livestock Protection Act include: American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Hunter Nation, International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Blacktail Deer Foundation, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Wool Growers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Nebraska Cattlemen and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association.