House OKs Walden bill to take wolves off endangered species list

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said Wednesday that his plan to remove gray wolves from the federal endangered species list has been approved by the U.S. House by a vote of 223-201. The lawmaker noted that management of wolves in Oregon is currently divided by an arbitrary line that leaves wolves in the eastern third of the state under state management, while the remainder are still managed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Meanwhile, wolves continue to kill livestock in the area under federal management, with little recourse for area ranchers and even creating challenges for the five year review of the Oregon Wolf Plan, the congressman said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized the recovery of this species and proposed delisting it three years ago, but litigation by outside groups has brought the process to a crawl. This proposal allows the agency to implement their proposal while ensuring that a delisting occurs by next summer...more