U.S. Interior Sec. Ken Salazar reportedly told Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that the eastern timber wolf will be removed from the endangered species list by the end of 2011.
Here’s more from the Duluth News Tribune story:
The proposal, which is expected by April, would return management of
wolves to state and tribal wildlife agencies and is the next step
needed for states to allow trapping and hunting of wolves.
It will be the third such delisting effort for the feds over the past
decade, with the first two thwarted by lawsuits and court decisions
that have returned wolves to federal protections each time. A final rule
could be ready by late 2011 but would still be subject to court
challenges.
As the story points out, the de-listing
would almost certainly be met with legal action from animal rights
groups, but it is an encouraging development for those hoping to trap
and hunt wolves in the western Great Lakes region.
Watch the blog for more as this story continues to develop.
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