Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB1895

Introduced
6/8/23  

Caption

A bill to require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue a final rule removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

Impact

Should SB1895 become law, it will impact wildlife management policies by enabling states to regulate gray wolf populations without federal restrictions. Proponents argue that the gray wolf has sufficiently recovered in various regions, thus warranting its removal from the endangered species list. By reallocating the management authority to states, the bill aligns with the belief that local management is more effective for wildlife conservation in certain contexts. This can potentially reduce the conflict between agricultural interests and wildlife conservation efforts.

Summary

SB1895 mandates that the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service must reissue a final rule to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife as specified in the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This legislative action follows a previous rule that sought to delist the gray wolf, which was originally enacted on November 3, 2020. The intention behind this bill is to finalize the removal of federal protection for gray wolves, thereby allowing for state control over their management and conservation efforts.

Contention

The bill is likely to evoke significant debate among various stakeholders. Supporters, including some hunting and agricultural groups, contend that delisting the gray wolf will alleviate pressures on livestock industries and allow for more localized population control. Conversely, wildlife conservationists and environmental groups may oppose the bill on the grounds that it undermines the protections afforded to a species that they believe still requires federal oversight. The discussion surrounding SB1895 thus revolves around the balance of state versus federal regulatory authority in the realm of environmental conservation and species protection.

Companion Bills

US HB764

Related Trust the Science Act

Previously Filed As

US SB1306

A bill to require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue a final rule removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

US HB130

Trust the Science Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020. The rule removed the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States, except for the Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi) subspecies, from the endangered and threatened species list. However, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule on February 10, 2022. As a result, the gray wolf reattained the protection status it had prior to the rule's promulgation. The bill also prohibits the reissuance of the rule from being subject to judicial review.

US HJR49

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat".

US HJR158

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat".

US SJR24

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat".

US HJR46

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Marine Fisheries Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat".

US HB5504

To require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to withdraw proposed rules relating to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.

US HR614

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4366) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 9) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population Segment"; and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 24) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat".

US HJR162

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard".

US SB2811

A bill to require the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to withdraw proposed rules relating to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.