AP file photo - A gray wolf

WASHINGTON DC – United States Congressman Jack Bergman, R- Watermeet, applauded his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation he helped introduce, which removes the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act and returns wildlife management authority to the states.

The legislation, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, directs the Department of the Interior to reissue a final rule delisting the gray wolf and limits the ability of activist groups to block science-based decisions through endless litigation. Management authority would return to the individual states, allowing wildlife professionals who understand local conditions to manage wolf populations responsibly.

“For folks in the Upper Peninsula, this issue is not theoretical – it is part of everyday life,” said Bergman in a press release on Friday. “Hunters, farmers, and families across the U.P. have watched deer numbers decline, livestock losses increase, and pets threatened, all while bureaucrats in Washington and activist judges across the country continued to ignore the science and the voices of local residents.”

“Decisions about wildlife in the U.P. should be made by those who know the land, not by bureaucrats hundreds of miles away.”

Gray wolf populations in Michigan and across the Great Lakes region have met and exceeded recovery goals for years, yet federal protections have remained in place, creating unnecessary conflict in rural communities.

Bergman noted, “This bill recognizes what the U.P. has known for a long time – conservation works, recovery has succeeded, and it is time to move forward. Returning management to the states is the right move for Michigan, for rural America, and for the future of responsible conservation.”

In November, Rep. Bergman led 24 of his colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Brian Nesvik, calling on him to immediately delist the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return management authority to states and tribes.