North American wolverines are expected to receive protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the coming weeks.
Following a May 2022 federal court order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was ordered to conduct a species status assessment for the wolverine after environmental groups brought suit. The District Court for the District of Montana Missoula Division ruled USFWS must determine by the end of November whether the species requires protections.
A status assessment released in September for the wolverine found that “future wolverine populations in the contiguous U.S. may be less secure than we described in our 2018 (species status assessment).”
The assessment hints at the possibility for ESA protections: “The best available information suggests that habitat loss as a result of climate change and other stressors are likely to impact the viability of wolverines in the contiguous U.S. through the remainder of this century.”
