House Passes Bill To Remove Gray Wolves From Endangered Species Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 211-204 to pass HR 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which would strip protections from gray wolves across the country. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Tom Tiffany (R-WI), would remove Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the U.S. within 60 days, and would also deny judicial review of the delisting.

The Endangered Species Act has been the focus of ire by anti-wildlife legislators in recent months. Earlier this week, the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced a bill, the "ESA Amendments Act", that would have dangerous consequences for endangered and threatened species across the country. Through December 22, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is accepting public comments on multiple proposalsto decrease critical protections under the Endangered Species Act.

In response, Bradley Williams, Sierra Club's Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection, released the following statement:

"Anti-wildlife lawmakers are once again attacking the Endangered Species Act, this time by targeting gray wolves. The science is clear: wolves still need federal protections to recover across their historic range, and stripping them now would put this iconic species at risk. Blocking judicial review only adds to the recklessness of this bill. We have seen firsthand how vital wolves are to ecosystems like Yellowstone National Park, which suffered greatly from the absence of wolves before their reintroduction in 1995. For more than 50 years, the American people have overwhelmingly supported the Endangered Species Act and want to see it upheld, not undermined. We urge the Senate to reject this bill."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.