Wolf Timeline hmtl

Pre 1930’s

• The gray wolf occupies much of the western half of the United States, preying on abundant deer and elk.
• Gray wolf populations in the eastern half of the United States are in decline due to hunting and competition for prey.
• In the eastern half of the United States, gray wolf populations remain in the Appalachians and Great Lakes region. 

1930 – 1970

• The western half of the United States starts becoming more populated.
• As farmers begin to plow and settle the land, the gray wolf’s habitat decreases.
• Competition with humans for deer and elk leads to decreases in wolf populations and increased predation on livestock.

• Farmers begin to see the wolf as a threat to livestock, wolf hunts become common.

1970’s

• In 1973, Congress passes the Endangered Species Act (ESA). At this point, gray wolves in the United States are only found in Minnesota and Michigan.
• In 1978, The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) lists the gray wolf as endangered in all lower 48 states except Minnesota, where it is listed as threatened.
• The FWS implements a recovery plan that includes criteria for future delisting.

1990’s

• Gray wolves are taken from Canada and reintroduced in the United States to create three non-essential experimental populations in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.
• The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone leads to renewed public interest in gray wolves.

2002

• Idaho adopts a state management plan to take over management of wolves in Idaho from the FWS.
• Mexican gray wolves achieve a population of 247 animals.
• Reestablished wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains exceed population growth for 10 consecutive years.

2003

• Montana adopts a state management plan to take management of wolves in Montana from the FWS.
• The FWS returns management of wolves in Montana and Idaho to these states.

2007

• Wyoming proposes a state wolf management plan that does not meet the standards of the FWS because it lists wolves as predatory animals and does not mandate that the state keep at least 15 breeding pairs of wolves.
• The FWS issues a Final Rule to establish and delist the Western Great Lakes distinct population segment (DPS), which includes populations of wolves located in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, parts of North and South Dakota, and the northern portions of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. 74 FR 15070 (2009).

2008

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to establish the Northern Rocky Mountain DPS in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and delist this DPS. 73 F.R. § 10514 (2008).
• Several wildlife organizations challenge the delisting of this DPS in federal district court by asking for a preliminary injunction. Defenders of Wildlife v. Hall, 565 F.Supp.2d 1160 (D. Mont. 2008).
• In response, the FWS asks the court to vacate the vacate the previous Final Rule and remand it back down to the FWS. 74 F.R. § 15123 (2008). The court does so, and wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS remain listed as threatened under the ESA.

2008 cont’d

• Several wildlife protection organizations challenge the delisting of the Western Great Lakes DPS in federal district court. Humane Society of the United States v. Kempthorne, 579 F.Supp.2d 7 (D.D.C. 2008).
• The court vacates the FWS’s 2007 Final Rule because of ambiguous language in the rule, and remands it back to the FWS. Thereafter, wolves are listed as threatened in Minnesota and endangered in the rest of the DPS.

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to relist the Western Great Lakes DPS until it can revise some of the ambiguous language previously at issue. 73 FR 75356 (2008).

2009

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to delist the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS, except in Wyoming where wolves are listed as a threatened nonessential experimental population due to Wyoming’s inadequate state management plan. 74 FR 15123 (2009).
• The FWS issues a Final Rule to delist the Western Great Lakes DPS that revises the language previously found ambiguous. 74 FR 15070 (2009).
• A Court Order and Settlement Agreement restores ESA protection for the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes DPS.

2010

• Wildlife protection organizations file suit in federal district court to challenge the delisting of the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS and ask the court to vacate the FWS’s 2009 final rule. Defenders of Wildlife v. Salazar, 2010 WL 3084194 (D. Mont. 2010).
• The court vacates the 2009 final rule, finding that the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS cannot be subdivided, so Wyoming wolves cannot be listed as threatened while wolves in Idaho and Montana are delisted.

2011

• Congress removes the Northern Rocky Mountain DPS from the endangered species list in Montana and Idaho in a rider to the federal government’s 2011 Budget, without the input of the FWS. FY 2011 Budget, 290 § 1713.

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to implement the delisting of wolves in Montana and Idaho, while wolves in Wyoming remain protected as threatened until the state develops an acceptable wolf management plan.

2011 cont’d

• In response to the delisting, several environmental welfare groups file suit in federal district court arguing that § 1713 violates the separation of powers doctrine. Alliance for the Wild Rockies v. Salazar,800 F. Supp. 2d 1123 (D. Mont. 2011).
• The district court grants summary judgment to defendants because Congress acted within its constitutional authority when changing these laws applicable to pending legislation.
• The FWS issues a Final Rule to delist the Western Great Lakes DPS. 76 FR 81666 (2011).

2012

• Michigan declares wolves a game species and authorizes a wolf hunting season. Mich. Comp. Laws § 324.40110.
• Wyoming develops an acceptable state wolf management plan so the FWS issues a Final Rule to delist the gray wolf in Wyoming. 77 FR 55530 (2012).
• Wyoming authorizes a hunting season for gray wolves in certain areas.

• Minnesota establishes a wolf hunting and trapping season. Minn. Stat. § 97B.647.

• Wisconsin creates and amends laws to establish a wolf hunting season. Wis. Stat. § 29.185.

2013

• Wyoming authorizes a second hunting season and issues 2,153 hunting permits. 23 wolves are killed during the hunting season, 39 wolves are killed as predatory animals, and 101 wolves are killed in total throughout the year.

• Minnesota authorizes a second wolf hunting season, and issues 131 extra licenses over the set quota. The season ends with 18 wolves killed over the harvest target set at the beginning of the season.

2014

• Wildlife advocacy organizations challenge the 2011 delisting of the Western Great Lakes DPS. Humane Society of the United States v. Jewell, 76 F. Supp. 3d 69 (D.D.C. 2014). The court overturns the FWS’s 2011 rule to delist the Western Great Lakes DPS.
• Wildlife advocacy organizations challenge the 2012 Wyoming wolf delisting rule.  Defenders of Wildlife v. Jewell, 68 F. Supp. 3d 193 (D.D.C. 2014).
• The court overturns the delisting of wolves in Wyoming and reinstates the 2009 rule.

2015

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to relist the Western Great Lakes DPS and return management of these wolves back to the FWS. 80 FR 9218 (2015).
• The FWS issues a final rule to remove state management authority in Wyoming for wolves outside of Yellowstone and the Wind River Reservation, and transfer wolf monitoring and management authority back to the FWS. 80 FR 9218 (2015).

2017

• The D.C Circuit Court of appeals reverses the holding of Defenders of Wildlife v. Jewell to reinstate the 2012 rule delisting gray wolves in Wyoming. Defenders of Wildlife v. Zinke, 428 U.S. App. D.C. 3 (2017).

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to reinstate the 2012 delisting of gray wolves in Wyoming. 82 FR 20284 (2017).
• The Northern Rocky Mountains DPS is now entirely delisted.

2020

• The FWS issues a Final Rule to delist gray wolves in the lower 48 states and Mexico. 85 FR 69778 (2020).
• Yellowstone's annual wolf report lists at least 123 wolves in the park, the highest peak count since 2008.

2021

• Wisconsin authorizes a wolf hunting season that opened on February 22 and closed the afternoon of February 24.
• During this period, 218 wolves were killed, which exceeded the quota of 119 wolves. Four wolves were illegally killed, 84 wolf hunting-related complaints were received, and 101 wolf-related investigations were conducted by Wisconsin law enforcement.

2022

• Wildlife advocacy organizations file suit in federal district court to challenge the 2020 rule delisting gray wolves in the lower 48 states and Mexico. Defenders. of Wildlife v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 584 F. Supp. 3d 812 (N.D. Cal. 2022).
• The court overturns the 2020 rule and reinstates ESA protections for gray wolves outside of the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS.