Reps. Tom Tiffany and Lauren Boebert Introduce Legislation to Protect Farmers and Delist the Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species List
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) led 21 Members of Congress in reintroducing the Trust the Science Act. This legislation follows the scientific recommendation of wildlife experts that the gray wolf should be removed from the Endangered Species List and that gray wolf populations should be managed by states instead of one-size-fits-all federal government regulation.
Congressman Tom Tiffany said, “It’s a scientific fact that the gray wolf has recovered well past its recovery goal. Saying otherwise undermines the purpose of the Endangered Species Act. This is a true recovery success story, and it's past time to give states the reins to control their wolf populations.”
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “The gray wolf is fully recovered, should remain delisted in the lower 48 states, and states should determine how to manage their local gray wolf populations. For too long, farmers and ranchers have been powerless to defend their livestock from gray wolf attacks. The Trust the Science Act empowers states and puts people ahead of violent predators. We need to actually analyze the data objectively instead of letting Endangered Species Act listing decisions be made by leftist activists.”
Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Kevin Krentz said, “Wisconsin farmers should not be subject to the judicial whims of a judge hundreds of miles away. It’s time Wisconsin is allowed to take full control of the management of the state’s top predator. Wisconsin Farm Bureau appreciates and supports the efforts of Representative Tiffany and Boebert as they work to allow Wisconsin farmers to defend their livestock. The science is proven. Wisconsin’s wolves have been recovered, and it’s time for the management phase of this Endangered Species Act success story.”
Keith Mark, President and Founder of Hunter Nation, said, “On behalf of Hunter Nation and our thousands of members in every state, I want to express our full support for the “Trust the Science” Bill just introduced by Reps. Lauren Boebert (CO) and Tom Tiffany (WI) that would remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The gray wolf reintroduction project was wildly successful. Long ago, the gray wolf populations far exceeded all markers that had been set to determine a successful recovery. The gray wolf populations have now exploded past those goals to the detriment of all other wildlife populations, and are now a threat to livestock, pets, and humans. The “Trust the Science” bill will be following one of the core tenants of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation: “Scientific management is the proper means for wildlife conservation.” Hunter Nation applauds and supports Reps. Boebert and Tiffany and all others that support this needed legislation.”
Don Peay, Founder of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, said, “For everyone who loves wildlife, it’s critical each state can manage wolves to protect herds of whitetail, elk, moose, big horn sheep, and all other wildlife.”
Luke Hilgemann, Executive Director, IOTR-International Order of T. Roosevelt,said, “Hunters and sportsmen remain the most crucial contributor to wildlife conservation; not bureaucrats and judges thousands of miles removed from the local communities who bear the costs of their heavy-handed decisions. The International Order of T. Roosevelt strongly supports state management of their wolf populations.”
Jason Ouimet, Executive Director for the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, said, “The NRA applauds Rep. Boebert for introducing the Trust the Science Act, working to return wolf management to the states. This legislation would not only allow states to better manage wolves, but it would also benefit hunters by allowing them to play a more active role in wildlife management.”
Mid States Wool Growers Association General Manager Dave Rowe said, “We believe the relisting of the grey wolf was a mistake and should have never been done. The reintroduction of the grey wolf into farming and ranching communities put great pressure on those families in terms of their personal safety and the livestock that they care for. Again, Mid States Wool Growers Cooperative Association would like to be counted among the other organizations that have endorsed the Trust the Science Act.”
Background:
The Trust the Science Act requires the Secretary of Interior to reissue the 2020 Department of the Interior final rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 United States and ensures that the reissuance of the final rule will not be subject to judicial review by activist judges like the California judge who vacated the rule in 2020 and unilaterally relisted the gray wolf by judicial fiat.
In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latest Endangered Species Act success story with recoveries with significant populations in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions.
21 Members of Congress cosponsored Rep. Tiffany and Rep. Boebert’s Trust the Science Act, including: Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01), Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04), Rep. Eli Crane (AZ-02), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-08), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Del. James Moylan (GU-AL), Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-02), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05), Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10), Rep. Matt Rosendale (MT-02), Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08), Rep. Brian Steil (WI-01), Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and Rep. Ryan Zinke (MT-01).
Groups that have supported the Trust the Science Act in the 117th Congress or the 118th Congress include: Alaska Farm Bureau Federation, BigGame Forever, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Livestock Association, Colorado Wool Growers Association, House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans, Hunter Nation, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, IOTR-International Order of T. Roosevelt, Mid States Wool Growers Association, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, National Rifle Association (NRA), New Mexico Wool Growers Inc., Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, Safari Club International (SCI), Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Washington Farm Bureau, Washington State Hunter Heritage Council, Western Caucus, Wisconsin Cattleman’s Association, and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.
The full text of the Trust the Science Act is available here.
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