On August 3, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it had reached an agreement with Governor Mead of Wyoming on possible revisions to Wyoming’s wolf management scheme. Under the agreement, Wyoming would be able to retain its predator status for wolves in nearly 90 percent of the state (which allows unlimited wolf killing and outright persecution of wolves), and could even pursue aerial gunning of wolves within the small portion of the state where wolves would instead be designated as a “game” species, subject to hunting.

One of North America’s most iconic native predators, the gray wolf used to be found throughout the United States.

Earthjustice attorney Doug Honnold offered this response: “Wyoming has once again succeeded in strong-arming the FWS into submission, giving tentative approval to an approach to wolves that harkens back to years gone by when wolves were virtually exterminated in the western United States. After all the efforts to promote wolf recovery in the Yellowstone area, this is a major step backward for wolf recovery.”

Additional response from Honnold is featured in a Reuters article.