U.S. House votes to delist gray wolf
The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 18, 2025, passed a bill to remove the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act list, sending the measure to the Senate. If it becomes law, federal protections would be lifted and management of wolves would revert to states, including Minnesota, potentially changing how the species is managed statewide.
đ Key Facts
- Date of action: Dec. 18, 2025
- Action: House passage of a bill to remove gray wolf from ESA protections
- Next step: Bill moves to the U.S. Senate; would shift management to states if enacted
đ Relevant Data
As of 2024, the total gray wolf population in the lower 48 United States is approximately 8,263, with significant populations in the Great Lakes region (about 4,690) and Northern Rockies (about 3,225).
How many wild wolves are in the United States? â New York Wolf Conservation Center
In wolf-occupied counties, the average county loses roughly 3 to 4 livestock animals per year to wolves, and hunting wolves reduces these losses by about 2%.
Hunting wolves reduces livestock deaths measurably, but minimally, according to new study â University of Michigan News
One wolf can cause between $69,000 and $162,000 in direct and indirect losses to cattle ranchers from lower pregnancy rates in cows and decreased weight gain in calves.
Expanding Wolf Population is Costing Cattle Ranchers â UC Davis
Gray wolves play a role as an apex species and can influence the dynamics of wildlife species across an entire ecosystem.
The role of wolves in ecosystems â Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Wolves in Yellowstone National Park have caused a trophic cascade of ecological change, including increases in beaver populations and vegetation like aspen.
Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem in Yellowstone â YellowstonePark.com
đ° Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time