{ "id": "RL34238", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL34238", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 446988, "date": "2011-11-01", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:29:37.752367", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "Even before passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), federal law protected the wolf, which was nearly eradicated in the lower 48 states by the mid-1900s. Following ESA enactment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) placed four gray wolf subspecies\u2014the eastern timber wolf, the Mexican wolf, the Texas gray wolf, and the northern Rocky Mountain wolf\u2014on the first ESA list of endangered species. In 1978, FWS replaced the subspecies listings by listing the gray wolf species (Canis lupus) as endangered in all of the conterminous 48 states except Minnesota, where FWS listed it as threatened. In 2011, FWS found that this listing was in error; that more targeted regional units were appropriate for wolves (notably in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest); that a newly recognized species, the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon), not the gray wolf, occupied the Northeast; and that all or parts of 29 eastern states should be removed from the gray wolf\u2019s historic range.\nWith the exception of experimental populations (Ex Pops) of gray wolves that FWS established in order to reintroduce wolves to selected areas, protections for the gray wolf have diminished as wolf populations have increased in areas such as the Northern Rocky Mountains. The use of distinct population segments (DPSs), a term created in the 1978 ESA amendments, has played a role in reduced protection. Through DPSs, vertebrate species may be divided into distinct groups, based on geography and genetic distinctions for listing purposes. \nEx Pops of wolves were reintroduced in three regions of the United States in the 1990s: Central Idaho, Yellowstone, and the Blue Range of Arizona and New Mexico. The Ex Pops in Central Idaho and Yellowstone have grown to over 1,650 wolves as of December 31, 2010, while the Mexican gray wolf population of the Blue Range has not surpassed 59 wolves, and as of January 2011 totaled 50.\nESA protection for wolf DPSs has varied since the first DPSs\u2014Western, Eastern, and Southwestern\u2014were proposed in 2003. Each effort by FWS to delist the wolf or designate a DPS has been rejected by a court or settled by the agency. Most recently, the April 2009 rules that had established and then delisted DPSs in the Western Great Lakes and the Northern Rockies were nullified as a result of litigation. As a consequence, the Northern Rockies wolves resumed their Ex Pop status, meaning they were treated as threatened in most circumstances but were endangered outside of the Ex Pop boundaries. Wolves in the rest of the lower 48 states were again endangered, with the exception of Minnesota wolves, which were threatened.\nThe April 2009 rule for the Northern Rockies was the topic of legislation in April 2011, when Congress took the unusual step of directing FWS to delist an endangered species. Section 1713 of P.L. 112-10 required FWS to reissue the 2009 Northern Rockies DPS rule. FWS\u2019s reissuance of that rule on May 5, 2011, ended federal protection of the gray wolf in Montana, Idaho, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and north-central Utah, but kept the wolf as a listed species in the remainder of the lower 48 states. Also on May 5, 2011, FWS proposed designating a DPS in the Western Great Lakes area and delisting those gray wolves. On October 5, 2011, FWS proposed delisting the wolves in the Wyoming DPS and terminating the Ex Pop. The proposal is contingent upon the Wyoming legislature\u2019s passing certain management requirements.\nThis report analyzes the ESA as it applies to gray wolves and, in particular, Ex Pops and DPSs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL34238", "sha1": "7836b3650f5aa03686bf86852c52499738fd5760", "filename": "files/20111101_RL34238_7836b3650f5aa03686bf86852c52499738fd5760.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL34238", "sha1": "4971b8aebb925bc3e62443f7254afe4f76e044fa", "filename": "files/20111101_RL34238_4971b8aebb925bc3e62443f7254afe4f76e044fa.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808796/", "id": "RL34238_2011Aug17", "date": "2011-08-17", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report analyzes the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as it applies to gray wolf wolves and, in particular, to their treatment as experimental populations (Ex Pops) and distinct population segments (DPSs).", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110817_RL34238_d9e787080707beff1b3882058cc973107db405d8.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110817_RL34238_d9e787080707beff1b3882058cc973107db405d8.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc805923/", "id": "RL34238_2011Feb28", "date": "2011-02-28", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act: Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report analyzes the distinct population segments (DPS) designation process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also examines experimental populations of wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and their protections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110228_RL34238_9cb90ccd854514deed41d31cf51dde29eaf717bd.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110228_RL34238_9cb90ccd854514deed41d31cf51dde29eaf717bd.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822616/", "id": "RL34238_2010Aug10", "date": "2010-08-10", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act: Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report analyzes the DPS designation process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also\r\nexamines experimental populations of wolves under the ESA and their protections. As part of its\r\noversight responsibilities, Congress has conducted hearings on the Fish and Wildlife Service\u2019s\r\napplication of science to endangered species.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100810_RL34238_66bd23e6df6556e09c539684d8689c0c289b70fe.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100810_RL34238_66bd23e6df6556e09c539684d8689c0c289b70fe.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc87332/", "id": "RL34238_2009Feb13", "date": "2009-02-13", "retrieved": "2012-07-03T07:51:21", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report analyzes the DPS designation process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also examines experimental populations of wolves under the ESA and their protections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20090213_RL34238_a5909dd8b22352f112fb6a4041bdbd0704e020b3.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20090213_RL34238_a5909dd8b22352f112fb6a4041bdbd0704e020b3.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" }, { "source": "KWD", "id": "wolves", "name": "wolves" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc809209/", "id": "RL34238_2008Oct20", "date": "2008-10-20", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report looks at the distinct population segments (DPSs) process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also reviews experimental populations of wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and their protections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20081020_RL34238_8326b726b470c819a262241163fdefcba2215fe6.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20081020_RL34238_8326b726b470c819a262241163fdefcba2215fe6.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc96792/", "id": "RL34238_2008Jan28", "date": "2008-01-28", "retrieved": "2012-08-07T13:52:45", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act: Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report looks at the distinct population segments (DPS) process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also reviews experimental populations of wolves under the ESA and their protections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080128_RL34238_e618df4c03f6f34c3a07e667931c32fb6122ec56.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080128_RL34238_e618df4c03f6f34c3a07e667931c32fb6122ec56.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Protection of wildlife", "name": "Protection of wildlife" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810810/", "id": "RL34238_2007Nov05", "date": "2007-11-05", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act: Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations", "summary": "This report looks at the distinct population segments (DPSs) process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also reviews experimental populations of wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and their protections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20071105_RL34238_b6016a2c93384d27fcb87d1fc10fd15c4d7253af.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20071105_RL34238_b6016a2c93384d27fcb87d1fc10fd15c4d7253af.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered species", "name": "Endangered species" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Endangered animals", "name": "Endangered animals" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Wildlife conservation", "name": "Wildlife conservation" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Constitutional Questions", "Energy Policy", "Environmental Policy" ] }