Trump Orders End to Grey Wolf Endangered Protections — SkimNews
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- Donald Trump signed an executive order to remove endangered species protection for grey wolves and the Mexican wolf subspecies, stating that ranchers play a "vital role" in the food supply chain and American cultural heritage.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has 90 days to determine whether the populations have recovered enough to warrant removal from the endangered species list — the order does not immediately authorize ranchers to kill wolves preying on livestock.
- There are roughly 18,000 grey wolves across the US and 319 Mexican wolves in the wild in 2025, up from just four when reintroduced in 1998, according to US Fish and Wildlife Service figures.
- Conservation groups including Western Watersheds Project and the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project criticized the move, citing studies that show wolf attacks on livestock are rare and have little impact on ranchers' income.
- The Wolf Conservation Center noted ranchers are already entitled to up to 100% compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves under existing state-funded programs.
- A 2022 federal attempt to de-list grey wolves became tied up in litigation, and campaigners have indicated they intend to challenge any Interior Department action that follows Trump's order.
- The order comes as the Trump administration seeks to lower record-high beef prices driven by drought and parasites — yet ranchers have separately been frustrated by Trump's decision to loosen beef import restrictions, squeezing their margins.
Why it matters: This opens a 90-day window for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine whether grey and Mexican wolves should be removed from the endangered species list. With only 319 Mexican wolves in the wild — up from four in 1998 — conservation groups have indicated they will challenge any de-listing, mirroring the 2022 federal fight that stalled in court.
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