In the Press: Judge Blocks Deal on Protections for Wolves

“Congress has clearly determined that animals on the ESA must be protected as such,”
– U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy

BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A federal judge has denied a proposed settlement agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 10 conservation groups that would have lifted endangered species protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula on Saturday rejected the agreement that could have led to public hunting of some 1,300 wolves in the two states.

Molloy in the 24-page decision cited the court’s lack of authority to put part of an endangered species population under state management and expose that population to hunting.

He also says he can’t approve the settlement proposed in March because not all the parties involved in the case agreed with it.

Click here to read the full article.
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Please take action today!
Wolves are still at great risk of extinction through legislation that would remove their endangered species protections forever.
Please contact your Senators and urge them to oppose Budget Bill amendments that will remove protections for wolves and weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA). (Note: if you are outside the U.S., you can still help by contacting President Obama-see below.)

You can also https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ and remind him of his own position that policy decisions should not be made through budget bills. Ask him to veto any budget bill containing any policy riders, including those that endanger wolves and the ESA.

The budget bill is likely to be voted on this week (4-11 to 4-17), so please take action right away. Thank you!