President Trump has signed an executive order directing the removal of endangered species status for grey wolves and Mexican wolves in the United States. The order instructs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine within 90 days whether these wolf populations have recovered sufficiently to be delisted from the endangered species list.
The administration framed the order as supporting ranchers, who it stated play a vital role in the food supply chain and American cultural heritage. The order noted that US livestock herds are at a 75-year low while beef demand has increased by 10% over the past decade, stating that greater support for the ranching industry is warranted.
Conservation organizations have opposed the measure, arguing it could undermine decades of recovery efforts. Environmental groups cited studies indicating that wolf attacks on livestock are rare and have minimal economic impact on ranchers’ operations. They also pointed out that ranchers currently receive up to 100% compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves through state-funded programs. The Wolf Conservation Center and Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project warned that weakening protections could jeopardize recovery progress, particularly for Mexican wolves, of which approximately 319 remain in the wild.
The executive order does not immediately authorize ranchers to shoot wolves but instead initiates a review process. The move comes as the Trump administration attempts to address record-high beef prices driven by drought and disease outbreaks. Ranchers have faced economic pressure from the administration’s decisions to loosen beef import restrictions, creating tight margins in the industry. Historically, systematic government eradication campaigns in the late 19th century, combined with private hunting and trapping, nearly eliminated wolves from the United States.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI