For years, the U.S has been a safeguard for wildlife; successfully protecting thousands of plant and animal species through the Endangered Species Act in 1974. 

Sadly, the US has been neglecting one animal in particular--the gray wolf. on February 2, 2024 the court ruled it would not restore protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. Countless times, wolves have gone back and forth between being delisted and relisted. In 2022, federal protections were restored for gray wolves in most of the US (not including the Rockies) after the Trump Administration removed them in 2020.

Before the 2024 ruling, Secretary Deb Haaland made a promise: "I am committed to ensuring that wolves have the conservation they need to survive and thrive in the wild." But as wolves still do not have full protections, Deb Haaland has failed to keep that promise.

For centuries, wolves have been a symbol of evil and hatred; and a threat to the wellbeing of livestock and humans. However, gray wolves are only responsible for 0.2% of livestock depredations. Not only that, but gray wolves are vital to ensuring a healthy ecosystem. By maintaining prey populations, wolves promote healthy ecosystems which benefit other animals and plants. In the 1900s, gray wolves would've gone extinct if it wasn't for the ESA to which gray wolves were added as one of the first species to the Endangered Species Act in 1974. The ESA probibited people from killing wolves for nearly 46 years. However, in 2020, the Trump administration delisted gray wolves nationwide and they were poached to the brink of extinction once again.

Then, on February 10th 2022, the court ordered for gray wolf protections to be restored in most of the U.S. But this ruling did not apply for wolves in the Northern Rockies. Since their 2022 relisting, lawmakers have attempted to remove gray wolves as they believe the species has 'fully recovered'.  In North America alone, approximately 5,000 gray wolves remain. In the states where their federal protections have been lifted (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), the slaughter is most prominent. As of 2024, gray wolves still remain unprotected in the Northern Rockies. We urge the Biden Administration, Secretary Deb Haaland, and the Department of Interior to stand for wolves and ensure they recieve full protections across the United States.