Johnson Acts to Reverse Political Ruling on Wolves
WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Friday called on the federal government to protect Wisconsin farmers, sportsmen and loggers, introducing an amendment that would allow state wildlife authorities to manage the recovered population of gray wolves.
Johnson’s amendment to the upcoming Energy Policy Modernization Act instructs the Department of the Interior to reissue final rules related to the listing of the gray wolf in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Wyoming under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Obama administration in 2011 determined that the wolf was no longer endangered in the western Great Lakes states. The secretary of the interior called the region’s wolf population “fully recovered and healthy.”
Johnson said this about his amendment:
“It’s been well over a year since a liberal judge in Washington, D.C., disregarded the science-based decision of President Obama’s own Department of Interior and returned the gray wolf to the endangered species list. But it is not endangered, and hasn’t been for years. Scientists are clear that both individual animal and pack numbers are growing rapidly in the Great Lakes states.
“I strongly agree with Wisconsin’s farmers, ranchers, loggers and sportsmen that future gray wolf listing decisions should come from the experts, and not from judges. Responsibility for wolf population management should be free from political intrusion and returned to state wildlife management authorities.”
Johnson also introduced an amendment that would prohibit the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from listing the Northern Long-Eared Bat as an endangered species.
“While I am pleased to see the Fish and Wildlife Service stopped short of listing the bat as an endangered species, the potential still exists. The problems associated with white-nose syndrome have not been abated, and the diminished bat populations have not yet begun to recover. While researchers and scientists continue their work to combat the disease, foresters across America have stepped up and adjusted their logging practices to better reflect the bat’s current status as a threatened species. My amendment makes it clear that while the bat deserves and is receiving needed regulatory protections, federal regulators must not take a step that would significantly disrupt the forestry industry across much of the United States.”
