courtesy of The Bellingham Herald
by Matthew Brown – Associated Press
A Republican budget bill would strip gray wolves of Endangered Species Act protections across most of the Northern Rockies – an indication the new Congress intends to move swiftly to settle the long-running legal skirmish over the predators.
Biologists estimate that more than 1,700 wolves inhabit the region, in at least 115 packs that are taking a mounting toll on domestic livestock and big game herds.
Two prior attempts to lift protections for the predators were reversed by a federal judge in Montana following lawsuits from environmentalists. Now lawmakers want to shield the Department of Interior from future legal challenges, effectively making Congress the final arbiter on whether wolves have recovered.
Teklanika Nature Photography 