The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule this past March to remove the gray wolf from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act.
A comment period ending May 14, 2019 was opened and then the Service announced a 60-day extension to allow all interested parties time to comment on the proposed rule.
“We will consider information and recommendations from all interested parties,” the Service said in a May 13 news release. “We intend that any final action resulting from this proposal will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and will be as accurate and as effective as possible. Our final determination will take into consideration all comments and any additional information we receive during the comment period.”
In addition to the comment period extension, the Service will hold one or more public hearings on the proposed rule. Notification on the additional public hearings will be published in a future Federal Register notice.
SCI is currently preparing comments on behalf of our members. The comments submitted by SCI will include scientific and legal information that will help the FWS make its delisting decision.
“The recovery of the gray wolf is attributable primarily to successful interagency cooperation,” the Service’s release noted. “States continue to demonstrate their ability to effectively manage wolf populations that guarantee the long-term sustainability of the species. The regulatory mechanisms put in place by these partners will last beyond federal delisting of the wolf and will ensure the long-term survival of the species.”
The public comment period will now close at midnight July 15, 2019.
Instructions on how to submit comments are provided at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket Number: FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097. The Federal Register notice provides additional detailed information on how the public can submit written comments and information.
More information is available online at: https://www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery/.
