By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.
Conservation advocates are petitioning the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to list the gray wolf as a state-threatened or endangered species as Republicans in Congress seek to remove federal protections for the animal. Petitioners Melissa Smith and Stacy Gilson with the Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance and research scientist Don Smith filed the petition Tuesday. They say the state should list the wolf due to its potential delisting and reduced capacity for federal oversight of state management as the Trump administration has slashed federal funding and staff. “By listing wolves as endangered or threatened under Wisconsin law, the state would uphold science-based population management, limit excessive hunting quotas, protect habitat connectivity, and ensure that federal monitoring efforts do not fall short due to political shifts,” petitioners wrote. A DNR spokesperson said the agency has received the petition, and will review whether wolves warrant state listing if federal protections are removed. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, both Republicans, introduced bills this year that would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue a rule removing federal protections for gray wolves that would bar courts from reviewing the decision. In late 2020, the Trump administration delisted the wolf, but a federal judge restored protections in February of 2022. Tiffany said he doesn’t see the point of the petition. “It has recovered, and it’s time to delist, so why they would do that in the face of the science that is settled is quite surprising to me,” Tiffany said. Federal wildlife regulators are required to monitor wolf populations for five years following any delisting to ensure sustainable wolf populations. In Wisconsin, a 2012 law requires a wolf hunt each year when the animal isn’t under federal protection. Smith, executive director of the Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance, argued federal cuts have diminished the agency’s capacity to oversee wolves. She said the petition seeks a collaborative approach to ensure populations aren’t placed at risk from unsustainable hunts, citing the 2021 wolf hunt. State-licensed hunters killed 218 wolves in less than three days that year, going over quota. “We think that in this era of scary federal cuts for everybody that this is something that we should work on and strengthening the endangered species list in Wisconsin absolutely should be done whether or not we have that federal framework,” Smith said. Wisconsin’s Ojibwe tribes oppose hunting wolves because they view the animal as a brother. Hunting and farm groups want to see the animal delisted as wolves have attacked and killed hounds and livestock, including Kansas-based Hunter Nation and the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association. Wisconsin state Sen. Rob Stafsholt, R-New Richmond, said the petition is an attempt to protect wolves at all costs. “If they have concerns over the federal defunding…what a better argument for state management of the wolf population than taking it out of the hands of the feds,” Stafsholt said. DNR data shows the animal’s population has grown to nearly 1,000 wolves, but the agency was unable to estimate wolf numbers during the 2023-24 winter due to a lack of snow and collar failures. Petitioners say state-level protections would allow the DNR to set science-based population goals, incorporate tribal perspectives and realize economic and ecological benefits. Don Waller is a retired conservation biologist and former environmental studies professor with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Waller said the 2021 hunt illustrated how modern hunting methods can rapidly reduce wolf numbers. “There will be a hunt without formal protection, so the state endangered listing is a line of last defense here,” Waller said. Petitioners say state listing would allow Wisconsin to set aside funds to support the state’s wolf plan and add conservation wardens to guard against illegal wolf killings. Adrian Wydeven, a retired DNR wolf biologist, said the DNR relies mostly on state funds for wolf management, noting delisting would provide more funding to manage wolves through hunter license and application fees. He added state listing of the wolf would create competition for funding with other threatened or endangered species. “Wolves, right now, don’t need attention as an endangered or threatened species. They can be a flexibly managed species. They are quite secure,” Wydeven said. Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
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Featured image: Gray wolf in the forest. (Photo Credit: iStock)