Endangered Species Act

Statement

Like many Idahoans, I was very disappointed with the decision out of the Federal District Court for Montana that relisted the northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The State of Idaho and its partners have worked diligently for years to produce a wolf management plan that complied with the law and met the needs of Idaho's stakeholders and the wolves. Not only were wolves recovered under Idaho management -- they thrived, and wolf populations in Idaho are now higher than anyone thought possible. Yet wolves have now been put back on the endangered species list for simply procedural reasons, leaving wolf management in Idaho in limbo. Along with Senator Jim Risch, I have written to the Secretary of the Interior, requesting that his department appeal the decision in court. Idaho's right to manage its wildlife must be protected, and I will continue working to ensure the state can do just that, leaving Washington, DC, out of the management decisions that affect Idahoans.

Source