The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Gary Frazer, assistant director for ecological services, sent a letter to the environmental law firm EarthJustice affirming the agency’s decision to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act protection.
Environmental groups threatened to sue the agency following the decision, stating it did not use the latest science and surveys show the population in the Western U.S. is imperiled. In addition, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order requiring agencies to review the previous administration’s actions.
“We are implementing post-delisting management in cooperation with federal, state, and tribal partners to ensure that the gray wolf populations in the lower 48 United States continue to be conserved and remain healthy,” the letter stated. Frazer cited the recovery of the species and that USFWS is “committed to the conservation and protection of all species, including the gray wolf.”
