US Republicans vote to remove protection for wolves May 2, 2024

A quarter of a million wolves once roamed from coast to coast before European settlers began eradication campaigns that persisted into the 20th century and virtually wiped them out in the lower 48 states © Kena Betancur / AFP/File

By AFP - Agence France Presse

US Republicans vote to remove protection for wolves

Washington (AFP) - The Republican-majority US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would eliminate endangered species protections for the gray wolf in much of the country, sparking outrage among conservationists.

Sponsored by Congressman Lauren Boebert, a right-wing arsonist from Colorado, the bill was narrowly approved (209-205) and now heads to the Senate.

On Monday, the White House announced its strong opposition to the measure, indicating a likely veto by President Joe Biden if it reaches his desk.

In October 2020, former President Donald Trump stripped gray wolves of their protected species status, which was implemented in the 1970s after their near extinction in the continental United States.

These protections were restored by a federal judge in February 2022, but not before the lapse in safeguards led to devastating losses: more than 200 were killed in a 72-hour hunting spree in Wisconsin, in just one example.

For campaigners, top predators embody the free spirit of the American wilderness, while detractors see them as a threat to farmers' livelihoods.

A quarter of a million wolves once roamed from coast to coast before European settlers began eradication campaigns that persisted into the 20th century and virtually wiped them out, outside of their Alaskan stronghold.

Today, there are around 5,000 specimens in the continental United States, thanks to their inclusion in the Endangered Species Act.

But activists say that recovery remains tenuous.

"If our elected leaders truly want to see this species fully recovered and properly removed from the Endangered Species Act, they will vote against this bill and allow wolves to continue their comeback story guided by the best available science," said Robert Dewey of Defenders of Wildlife, one of more than 100 organizations that condemned the bill.

© 2024 AFP