Klobuchar and Oberstar urge delisting of wolf

Source: Wikipedia

Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. James Oberstar are urging the federal Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to speed up the process of removing the Great Lakes populations of gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Outside of Alaska, Minnesota has the highest wolf population in the United States. A 2008 lawsuit by environmental groups put the wolf back on the ESA after the Bush administration removed it from the list. Klobuchar and Oberstar wrote to FWS director Rowan Gould stating the need to move quickly on delisting.

“We are confident that the (Endangered Species Act) has served its purpose and that the Minnesota DNR is ready and capable of ensuring the continued success of the wolf recovery and we urge you to consider the science and make your determination in a timely manner,” Klobuchar and Oberstar wrote, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

The process to remove the wolf has been complicated by technical errors by FWS, the article notes.

The federal government has given Minnesota more control over its wolf population due to the large number and a sufficient management plan to ensure numbers do not drop below 1,600.

Incidentally, Friday is Endangered Species Day, and the FWS notes the success in bringing the gray wolf back from the brink of extinction in the United States.

“The Endangered Species Act is the nation’s premier law protecting biodiversity today,” said FWS’ Gould in a statement last week. “The bald eagle, American alligator and gray wolf are all species which once found themselves on the list, facing the brink of extinction, but have successfully rebounded. The wood stork, Kirtland’s warbler, Louisiana black bear and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle are still listed species that are showing good progress towards achieving recovery — the ultimate goal of the ESA. These species and many others continue to benefit from the protections afforded by the ESA and the dedicated people who work through the Act to ensure their continued existence.”