This bill would remove federal protection for gray wolves across most of the United States. Right now, gray wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act, which means hunting them and harming their habitats is heavily restricted. This bill tells the Department of the Interior to take wolves off that protected list, which would allow states to permit hunting and make it easier for ranchers and property owners to kill wolves that threaten their livestock or pets. The bill specifically targets gray wolves in the lower 48 states, though it keeps protection for the Mexican wolf subspecies, which is more endangered. This reverses a court decision from 2022 that had blocked a similar removal effort.

The practical effect is that gray wolves would lose their endangered species status and face much less legal protection. States could then set their own hunting seasons and regulations for wolves. The bill also includes a provision that prevents courts from reviewing or challenging this decision, meaning once the rule is reissued, legal challenges would likely be blocked. This would primarily affect ranchers and rural property owners who deal with wolf predation on livestock, as well as conservation groups and wildlife advocates who want to protect wolves from hunting.

Pet and Livestock Protection Act

Boebert, Lauren

Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020.The rule removed the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States, except for the Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi) subspecies, from the endangered and threatened species list. However, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule on February 10, 2022. As a result, the gray wolf reattained the protection status it had prior to the rule's promulgation.The bill also prohibits the reissuance of the rule from being subject to judicial review.