Safari Club International (SCI) applauds today’s Executive Order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to evaluate whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves should remain listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
For decades, SCI has advocated that recovered wolf populations should be managed by the states rather than under continued federal protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly reached the same conclusion. Since 2003, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the Service has sought to downlist or delist gray wolves based on the best available science, consistently finding that populations have exceeded recovery goals and no longer warrant ESA protection.
Gray wolves are biologically recovered across much of their range. More than 4,200 wolves inhabit the Great Lakes states, while over 2,700 occupy western states spanning at least 11 states. These populations are connected to more than 10,000 wolves in Canada, demonstrating both broad geographic distribution and healthy genetic exchange. Mexican wolf populations have also seen substantial growth in the past decade.
The recovery of wolf populations has brought increased conflicts with livestock producers, rural communities, and sportsmen. In Wisconsin alone, wolves killed or injured more than 100 domestic animals in 2024. In Colorado, depredation from recently reintroduced wolves has already exceeded the state’s compensation program, impacting rural economies and local food sources.
“Today’s Executive Order represents an important step toward ensuring that wildlife management decisions are guided by sound science and biological reality,” said SCI President Jeff Meyerl. “The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that gray wolf populations have recovered and that states have the tools, expertise, and proven track record necessary to ensure their long-term conservation.”
SCI also supports efforts to modernize Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture policies governing compensation for livestock losses caused by predators and to streamline authorization for lethal removal when necessary to address chronic depredation and protect rural livelihoods.
“Conservation success should be recognized and celebrated,” Meyerl added. “Gray wolf recovery is one of North America’s greatest wildlife conservation achievements. SCI applauds the Administration for directing a science-based review of wolf listings and taking steps to ensure that wildlife management is driven by biological realities rather than decades of litigation. Recovered wolf populations belong under state management, where conservation success can continue while balancing the needs of wildlife, hunters, ranchers, and rural communities.” Read more
