Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has called attempts by the federal government to delist gray wolves from the endangered species list flawed and unlawful.
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service the gray wolf population is currently at 6,000 across the lower 48 states - exceeding recovery goals for the species. The department argued those numbers mean the wolves can be delisted.
But Nessel disagreed, saying that while gray wolves have been recovering in the Great Lakes Region, the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to analyze whether removing protections would impact gray wolves in other parts of the country.
Essentially, Nessel argued, the Service is using the success of recovery efforts in Michigan to the detriment of the species as a whole.
Nessel called the move “neither responsible, nor lawful”
A spokesperson for the Sierra Club agreed with the Attorney General, saying that delisting the gray wolf is premature and will prevent them from recovering to their historic range.
This is the 10th time in roughly 20 years that the Fish and Wildlife Service has attempted to delist gray wolves
The US Fish and Wildlife Service did not respond to our request for comment.