On the recordFebruary 2, 2011
I have joined my colleagues to introduce legislation to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to remove the gray wolf. The Endangered Species Act has proved a failure for wolf conservation. I believe Congress must pave the way for a new State-based approach. Since the listing of the gray wolf as endangered in 1976, the Federal wolf recovery programs have been in continuous litigation. The latest Federal district court decision returning the Rocky Mountain gray wolf to the Endangered Species List despite a population in excess of agreed upon recovery goals was the last straw. It is evident now that science is not driving recovery; rather, judicial decisions and consent agreements with special interest groups are dictating the fate of wolves and impacted communities. Despite the authorities and responsibilities conveyed to States by Congress under section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, State wildlife agencies have become mere bystanders in wolf management under this paradigm. Take the Mexican gray wolf in the Southwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS, has not been able to revise the recovery plan for that wolf in 28 years. Why? Because of the litigious nature of activist organizations. Another attempt to overhaul the program and develop a recovery plan is under way, but USFWS estimates that plan is at least 4 to 6 years away, assuming no litigation. We can't expect the public or the wolves to continue to wait.
