Ninth Circuit Court hears appeals on gray wolf protections

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held hearings in Missoula, Montana, regarding two legal challenges that could determine the scope of federal protections for gray wolves in the lower 48 states.

The cases involve conflicting views on the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various intervenors, including the American Farm Bureau and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, argue that gray wolves no longer require federal protection and should be managed by individual states. They are appealing previous district court rulings that challenged the agency’s decisions.

Conversely, wolf advocates argue that protections should be expanded. One case stems from a Montana ruling requiring the Fish and Wildlife Service to consider extending protections to wolves in the Northern Rockies, including parts of Oregon and Washington. Another case involves a California ruling that ordered the restoration of federal protections for wolves in California and parts of Western Oregon and Washington.

Judicial deliberations focused on legal definitions within the ESA, specifically regarding what constitutes a species’ “range” and when a species is considered “recovered.”