Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a two-part rule on the North American wolverine. The Service listed the species as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, and also issued a proposed 4(d) rule allowing for some incidental take of wolverines.
The threatened status is a final rule, which will go into effect on January 2, 2024. The interim 4(d) rule is only interim, with a comment period open through January 29, 2024.
Wolverines have been spotted in five states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. In most of their range, wolverines occupy alpine and subalpine landscapes at or above 5,000 feet. While the heavy majority of their diet is made up of smaller animals, they are capable of killing moose, elk, and other large ungulates.
The wolverine population has crept back up to around 300 in the northern portions of the Rocky and Cascade mountains, though robust populations persist throughout Canada and Alaska
The Public Lands Council says it is continuing to review the rule with their affiliates, but initial implications for ranchers appear mixed. While historic depredation has been limited, the interim 4(d) presents little regulatory flexibility for ranchers across the whole species’ range. PLC is combing through the rule to ensure there would be no collateral restrictions on trapping of other predator species like gray wolves (in the states where that is permitted.)
Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) released the following statement following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decision to list the wolverine population as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
“Unfortunately, this decision was based on unanswered questions and old or non-existent data,” said Rep. Rosendale.
“This decision subjects any action regarding the species to the whims of Sec. Haaland – whom Montanans have very little faith in – while incentivizing the federal government to establish additional regulations and limitations on Montanan’s private property and the recreational use of federal lands under the guise of conservation and protection of a species that may very well be thriving.”
Earlier this month, Rep. Rosendale along with Senator Steve Daines (MT), and Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01), sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Montana District Court to delay a final decision by 120 days for the North American Wolverine’s listing in the Federal Registry (the agency did not respond to this request).
Read Rep. Rosendale, Sen. Daines, and Rep. Zinke’s letter to Director Williams and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service HERE.
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PLC/Rep. Matt Rosendale
