MONTANA — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of its intent to pursue legal action over the recent listing of wolverines as a threatened species.
In November, 2023, the North American wolverine received federal protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
In September 2023, the FWS updated its 2018 species status assessment for the North American wolverine with an addendum, which includes updated information on climate change, habitat connectivity, trapping, snow, population density and impacts on genetic diversity, as well as considered changes in regulatory mechanisms and conservation measures.
According to FWP, the FWS’s endangered species listing switched course to identify the lower 48 states as a distinct population segment after its initial finding that the population of wolverines in the lower 48 was connected to those in Canada. The finding came despite protections in Canada and states like Montana to ensure wolverine conservation, per FWP.
“In Montana, wolverines continue to do well and inhabit much, if not all, of their available habitat,” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala said via press release. “We work closely with our neighboring states to ensure the continued conservation of these iconic species. Federal protections in this case will only get in the way of good conservation work.”
In FWS’s listing, climate models predicting conditions in the year 2100 pointed to a projected decrease in snowpack. According to Montana FWP, recent science shows that wolverines are adaptable and able to den and reproduce without snow.
“In the Northern Rockies, wolverines are doing well and states are working closely on monitoring and conservation efforts. This listing is not only unnecessary, it fails to recognize current science,” FWP Director Dustin Temple said via press release.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, scientists estimate that no more than 300 wolverines remain in the lower 48 states. Conservationists spent decades, including six rounds of successful litigation, trying to secure federal protections for the animal. Supporters of the ESA say this new listing provides the species and its remaining habitat with additional protections to ensure its best chance for survival.
The first step in challenging this listing is filing a Notice of Intent to Sue with the FWS. Following this action, the state will file a lawsuit in federal district court.
