Rep. Boebert Argues for Delisting Gray Wolves Under Endangered Species Act

Delisting the Gray Wolf

• 📌 Representative Lauren Boebert introduced HR 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, aiming to delist the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list.
• 🎯 This legislation seeks to return wolf management authority from the federal government to state and tribal wildlife agencies.

Concerns Over Wolf Reintroduction and Management

• ⚠️ Boebert criticizes the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado, particularly the importation of Canadian wolves, calling it "ballot box biology" and a chaotic approach.
• 🚫 The current ESA restrictions prevent ranchers and pet owners from protecting their livestock and pets from wolves, with potential prosecution for those who harm them.
• 💰 Colorado's agricultural producers have reportedly lost $580,000 in one year due to wolves.

Scientific Basis for Delisting

• 🔬 The argument for delisting is based on the assertion that the science is crystal clear and gray wolves are fully recovered.
• 📈 Past administrations, including Obama, Trump, and Biden, have supported delisting, and career employees at the Department of Interior previously found wolves to be recovered.
• ⚖️ A 2020 rule returning management to states was vacated by an activist judge through frivolous litigation, relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.

Federalism and Rural Way of Life

• 🏛️ The bill is framed as an exercise in federalism and trusting states to manage wildlife appropriately.
• 🌾 Boebert argues that extreme environmentalists do not understand the rural way of life and that current policies put predators over people.