“The really extensive expansion of the gray wolf population in Oregon and the western United States poses significant demanding situations for ranchers, farmers, and outdoor enthusiasts,” Bentz, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, told Fox News. in one sentence.
“It is imperative that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe U. S. Department of Homeland Security will act to remove the gray wolf from the list so that those in the western U. S. will be able to get rid of it. “We are not going to be able to protect the U. S. that faces the burden of reintroducing a species of supreme predator, which has certainly recovered. “
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ACCELERATES PLAN TO UNLEASH GRIZZLY BEARS ON RURAL COMMUNITY APPROACH TO GENERATED LOCAL OPPOSITION
Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore. , appears before a House Republican Conference assembly in Washington, D. C. , on Jan. 3, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc Getty Images)
Bentz and his 19 Republican colleagues said the resurgence of the gray wolf population should be touted as a tale of good fortune under the Endangered Species Act. They argued that cutting off federal protections would allow Western states to seek their own protections.
And they noted that without an FWS rule suppressing the species, the developing wolf population would create significant and deadly conflicts for Americans. Under the Endangered Species Act, killing indexed animals can be punished with hefty fines or even prison time.
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“Unsurprisingly, the huge expansion of gray wolf populations has led to an increase in wolf-human conflict,” the letter reads. “The effect of gray wolves on cattle herds is not and cannot be limited to undeniable predation. Wolves inflict far greater damage to herds than can be measured simply by counting carcasses.
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams was sworn in to lead the company in March 2022 (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). U. S. Homeland
“Wolves have an immense mental effect on cattle herds, leading to losses for producers. These losses can manifest as “stress, disease, and reduced rates of weight gain and pregnancy when wolves frighten, chase, or attack livestock. “Pastoralists are often marginalized, leaving them in the most unlikely scenario of choosing between obeying the law and protecting their livelihoods. “
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The letter concluded by stating that ranchers “must be able to protect their livestock” and not “be paralyzed by unnecessary regulations that overprotect a thriving species. “
Republicans and farm animal husbandry teams have argued that the gray wolf has fully recovered and is no longer threatened, and they are urging Biden’s leadership to rescind protections. (Getty Images)
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In 2020, the Trump administration claimed that gray wolves had fully recovered and thus removed them from the “endangered” list. David Bernhardt, then Secretary of State for the Interior, said at the time that the species was neither threatened nor endangered, based on the provisions of the Endangered Species Act.
However, in early 2022, a federal district court reinstated Endangered Species Act protections in lower states.
And, in a separate but similar resolution last month, the FWS refused to include the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountain ecosystem, despite objections from environmentalists. Bentz and other Republican lawmakers said the move means the species will be delisted nationwide.
Calls made to the FWS have been returned at the time of publication.
Thomas Catenacci is a politician for Fox News Digital.