Letter from Senator Tammy Baldwin Office dealing with the Wolf issue

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts about the recovery of the gray wolf and support for returning wolf management to the state.  I appreciate you taking the time to write me about this important issue.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the primary federal authority for the protection of wildlife, freshwater fish and vegetation at risk of extinction.  For nearly five decades, this seminal piece of legislation has charged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with developing management plans for threatened and endangered species to bring our nation’s wildlife back from the brink of extinction.

I support the ESA because it upholds our Wisconsin values of protecting, treasuring and coexisting with nature.  Wisconsin has its own proud story of species recovery to tell.  Our state’s wolf population has rebounded from near-extinction over the past few decades, surpassing recovery goals set by wildlife biologists.  As a result, the USFWS has sought to delist the gray wolves in the Great Lakes multiple times over the past two decades.  When successful species like the wolf become delisted, fulfilling the objective of the ESA, it is my hope that local, state and tribal leaders will work together to maintain balanced and healthy populations in our state.

Last Congress, I introduced the Northern Great Lakes Wolf Recovery Act, which would delist the gray wolf in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan and create an advisory committee to develop a science-based, regional-specific plan for the gray wolf population.  More specifically, the Northern Great Lakes Region Gray Wolf Advisory Committee would be comprised of members representing agriculture, Native and Tribal communities, heads of impacted-state agencies and wolf management experts and scientists to create the final delisting rule for the region.  The advisory committee would work with the USFWS during the five-year post-delisting monitoring period, which ensures that the status of the species does not decline or, if an increase in threats or decline in the population do occur, there are plans and measures in place to halt the decline so that relisting is not necessary.  You can learn more about this legislation here: https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-introduces-new-bill-to-delist-gray-wolves-in-upper-midwest.

There are a wide range of perspectives on wolf management in Wisconsin, and I believe that we can build on our natural resources heritage and find common ground on the shared goal of a stable, healthy wolf population now and into the future.  I am committed to protecting our most threatened and endangered species, and I will continue to support scientists in their recommendations for wolf management plans.  As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, know that I will continue to advocate for strong funding for wildlife habitat and species recovery.

Once again, thank you for contacting my office.  It is important for me to hear from the people of Wisconsin on the issues, thoughts and concerns that matter most to you. If I can be of further assistance, please visit my website at www.baldwin.senate.gov for information on how to contact my office.