Delisting from Endangered to "A Species In Need of Management"

By law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must be reasonably assured that adequate regulations are in place to prevent wolves from becoming endangered again, should the protections of the Endangered Species Act be removed. It is unlikely that the USFWS will propose wolves for delisting unless Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have state management plans in place. If, however, each state has management plans in place by December 2002, federal officials say they will take following steps to officially delist the gray wolf:

December 2002
State wolf management plans completed by Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

December 31, 2002
Wolf population exceeds 30 breeding pair in the Rocky Mountain Recovery Area in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming for the third consecutive year to meet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf population recovery goal.

Winter 2003
USFWS publishes its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northwestern Unites States, if the wolf population has been recovered in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and if state wolf management plans are in place.

Spring/Summer 2003
Nationwide public comment period on USFWS proposal to delist the gray wolf.

Summer/Fall 2003
USFWS analysis of public comment and preparation for final delisting rule.

Winter 2003-04
USFWS publishes final rule. The gray wolf is delisted and is managed by the states according to their state management plans.

2004-09
The USFWS is required by law to monitor wolf population status for at least five years to assure the population remains recovered, but all management decisions are the responsibility of the states once wolves are delisted.

(Source: Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Website)