Trump signs order to remove endangered species protection for grey wolves — SkimNews
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- Trump signed an executive order to remove endangered species protection for the grey wolf and the Mexican wolf, giving Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 90 days to determine whether the populations have recovered enough to warrant delisting.
- Mexican wolves in the US wild numbered 319 in 2025, up from just 4 when they were reintroduced in 1998, according to US Fish and Wildlife Service figures.
- Grey wolves number roughly 18,000 across the US but remain classified as endangered because most of their habitat has been destroyed by humans.
- A 2022 federal delisting effort was tied up in litigation, and conservation groups have signaled they intend to challenge any Interior Department action under Trump's order.
- The order cited US livestock herds at a 75-year low alongside a 10% rise in beef demand over the past decade, framing ranchers as playing a 'vital role' in the food supply chain.
- Conservation groups including the Western Watersheds Project and Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project argued wolf attacks on livestock are rare, noting ranchers already qualify for up to 100% compensation for confirmed losses.
- The order comes as the Trump administration seeks to lower record-high beef prices driven by drought and a parasite outbreak, though ranchers have been frustrated by Trump's separate decision to loosen restrictions on beef imports.
Why it matters: The order does not immediately let ranchers kill wolves but starts a 90-day Interior review — and with a similar 2022 delisting effort stalled in court for years, conservation groups are already preparing litigation that could keep federal protections in place long after any administrative finding.
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