Trump Orders Review to Remove Gray Wolf Protections

President Donald Trump signed the Supporting America’s Ranchers executive order on September 4, directing the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to determine within 90 days if gray wolves and Mexican wolves have met recovery criteria. If recovery is confirmed, the order mandates the process of delisting or downlisting these species from the Endangered Species Act, which would allow states to revise standards for killing wolves that attack livestock.

Trump's initiative aims to alleviate economic pressures on ranchers, including rising diesel prices linked to the Iran War. To further lower consumer prices, the president also plans to import 300,000 metric tons of ground beef from Argentina and Brazil. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stated the move is intended to equip ranchers against predators and rebuild the "Great American Cattle Herd."

Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, oppose the order, arguing that wolf populations have not met recovery goals. Collette Atkins of the Center for Biological Diversity warned the action could be "devastating" and pledged to challenge any delisting attempts in court. While delisting would provide ranchers in states like Oregon and Washington more opportunities to kill wolves, state policies would still prohibit recreational hunting and trapping. A similar delisting attempt during Trump's first term was vacated by a federal district court in 2022 due to a lack of available science.