President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing his administration to begin the process to remove the Mexican gray wolf from the federal endangered species list.
The Interior Department has 90 days to determine whether the wolves meet the criteria for delisting or downlisting.
If so, the agency would begin that process.
It’s part of Trump’s recent effort to address the concerns of ranchers.
If approved, the order would allow ranchers more flexibility to kill wolves that threaten their livestock.
But conservation groups insist downlisting wolves would do little to help struggling ranchers.
“The impact of wolves on the livestock industry pale in comparison to the impacts of recent trade agreements and the reality of ranching in the arid West under changing climate conditions,” Deputy Director of Western Watersheds Project Greta Anderson said in a statement.
It comes as Arizona wildlife officials announced in July they would begin to prepare a petition to downlist the animals from the endangered species list.
They say the species has reached key population thresholds outlined in the recovery plan.
That plan sets out to achieve an average population of 320 wolves across Arizona and New Mexico over four years.
Last year, the agency identified at least 319 in the wild.
Wolves have also been released south of the border to start rebuilding the population in Mexico.
“Following the successful transfer of 12 Mexican wolves from the United States to Mexico earlier this year and with two key recovery plan criteria within reach, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Mexico Department of Wildlife and the Arizona Game and Fish Department are preparing a petition for downlisting the subspecies based on these successes,” officials said in a July media release.
And wolf advocates say the focus on the number of wild wolves ignores other important factors, including serious genetic challenges. The current population is about as diverse as siblings.
“Weakening federal protections now would put decades of recovery work at risk,” Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project Executive Director Claire Musser said in a statement.
Advocates argue Mexican gray wolves need continued federal protection.
