Two Michigan State Laws Suspended After Judge Restores Federal Protections For Gray Wolves

(CBS DETROIT) – On Thursday, a federal judge restored protections for gray wolves across the United States, returning them to the endangered species list.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White in California vacated a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service order from Nov. 3, 2020. This order removed gray wolves from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the lower 48 states, starting on Jan. 4, 2021.

“The changes on wolf protections took effect immediately Thursday with the judge’s signing of the U.S. District Court order,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Public Information Officer Ed Golder. “Ongoing work to update the 2015 Michigan Wolf Management Plan will continue, with completion of that process expected later this year.”

The state laws that are suspended following this ruling include:

Public Act 318 of 2008: allows hunting dog owners to remove, capture or use lethal means to destroy a wolf in the act of preying on the owner’s dog

Public Act 290 of 2008: offers the same provisions to livestock owners

It remains illegal to kill a wolf unless they are a threat to human life, and livestock owners will continue to be compensated for wolf depredation losses.

MDNR officials say hunting wolves while they are on the endangered species list is not permitted.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement following the order and was previously against U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rule removing wolves from the endangered species list.

For more information on wolves from the MDNR, visit here.

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