WPC: Delisting Of Gray Wolf A “Success Story for ESA”

Last week’s announced by the Department of the Interior that the gray wolf will be removed from the Endangered Species List is, according to Todd Myers, Director of the Environmental Center at the Washington Policy Center, a victory of the Endangered Species Act. He noted the EAS does not have a great track record when it comes to species recovery.

He added this is the state’s opportunity to ensure that the wolf population increases, or stabilizes, while also addressing the impacts of having more wolfs across the Evergreen State.

“[This] reflects strong science and data that show that the wolf population is significantly increasing not just across the country, but especially here in Washington state, where they’ve gone from about five to nearly 150 wolves in just one decade.”

Meyers added elected state officials should take this opportunity to prepare for a post-recovery strategy that learns from the success of neighboring states and local tribes.

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