Congressman Jack Bergman and a coalition of House Members are calling on newly confirmed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Brian Nesvik to immediately delist the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return management authority to states and tribes.
In a letter sent to Director Nesvik, Rep. Bergman and 24 of his colleagues congratulated him on his confirmation and urged the FWS to rely on science – not politics – in determining the gray wolf’s status. The Members underscored that wolf populations across the country have long surpassed recovery goals and that continued federal protections ignore both the law and on-the-ground realities in rural communities.
“Gray wolves have recovered far beyond the levels that originally warranted their listing,” said Rep. Bergman. “The science is clear – these populations are stable, self-sustaining, and thriving. It’s time to return management to the people who live with these animals every day, not judges or bureaucrats in Washington.”
The Members’ letter notes that recent federal court rulings have imposed new standards for delisting – requiring a species to repopulate its entire historic range – that are not found anywhere in the ESA. The lawmakers warn that this judicial overreach undermines the law’s intent and diverts critical conservation resources away from species truly at risk.
The letter urges FWS to reissue its 2020 rule delisting the gray wolf and to stand behind state and tribal wildlife management programs, which have proven capable of maintaining healthy wolf populations while reducing human-wildlife conflict.
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