Center for Biological Diversity Challenges U.S. Fish and Wildlife on Gray Wolf Recovery

WASHINGTON — The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy organization, has initiated legal action against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency’s handling of gray wolf protections. The move comes amid ongoing debates about the conservation of gray wolves, a species that faced significant population declines in the states due to human activities, but which is now recovering under protected status in several states, including California.

Gray wolves once roamed across much of what is now the lower 48 states before European settlement. By the mid-20th century, extensive hunting, trapping, and poisoning had reduced their numbers to fewer than 1,000 individuals, primarily in northeastern Minnesota. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, designating it as endangered in the 48 contiguous states except for Minnesota, where it was classified as threatened. Since then, regional recovery plans have been developed for specific areas, such as the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Great Lakes region, but no comprehensive national plan has ever been created. These efforts have led to some population rebounds, with current estimates around 4,550 wolves in the Eastern Great Lakes and 2,797 in the western United States, though threats persist from habitat loss and state management practices. Canada’s gray wolf population remains a stable stronghold, with an estimated 50,000-60,000 individuals.

The Center for Biological Diversity alleges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to develop a nationwide recovery plan for gray wolves. Specifically, the organization points to the agency’s November 2025 decision, outlined in its Recovery Planning Exception Findings, which stated that such a plan would not promote conservation because federal listing is “no longer appropriate.” This stance reverses a commitment made in February 2024, when the service announced its intention to prepare a national plan following prior litigation from the Center. The allegations also include violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, claiming the decision is arbitrary and capricious due to a lack of explanation and failure to use the best available science. Existing regional plans, such as the 1992 plan for the eastern timber wolf, are deemed outdated and insufficient for addressing recovery across broader areas, such as the West Coast, the southern Rocky Mountains, and the Northeast.

To address their allegations, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue on December 2, 2025, fulfilling the 60-day requirement under the Endangered Species Act before proceeding to federal court. The notice demands that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service develop and implement a comprehensive national recovery plan to ensure the species’ long-term conservation. This legal step builds on previous successes, including a 2022 court ruling that vacated a delisting rule and restored protections for gray wolves in much of the lower 48 states. Collette Adkins, senior attorney and carnivore conservation director at the Center, stated, “We’re challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful decision to once again abandon wolf recovery, and we’ll win.” She added, “The Fish and Wildlife Service must live up to the reality of what science and the law demand. That means a comprehensive plan that addresses gray wolf recovery across the country.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not yet issued a public response to the Center for Biological Diversity’s notice of intent to sue. The 60-day period allows the agency an opportunity to address the concerns before a formal lawsuit is filed, potentially in early February 2026.