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Advocates want protections kept for U.S. wolves

Posted at 10:47 AM, Mar 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-06 12:50:05-05

BILLINGS, MT. — Wildlife advocates say plans to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states could halt the predators' recovery in many areas where they've been exterminated.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Spokesman Gavin Shire told the Associated Press Wednesday the government will propose lifting protections for wolves in coming days based on their successful recovery.

But environmental groups say the gray wolf remains absent across a majority of its former range, including portions of the Adirondack Mountains in New York State and southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico.

Lifting protections would allow hunters to kill wolves and likely slow their expansion. Hunting already is allowed in the Northern Rockies states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

Collette Adkins with the Center for Biological Diversity says her group will go to court to attempt to stop the government from lifting protections.

(by Associated Press)