Fish and Wildlife Service made last year to not release a national wolf recovery plan, saying the species doesn’t need federal protection. The current Trump administration is using the 2020 status review as the basis for its decision not to release a recovery plan, because the species no longer meets ESA requirements. But the Center for Biological Diversity, which has been the foremost conservation group pursuing legal routes to secure protections for gray wolves, said the move circumvents established law. Colorado began a wolf recovery program in late 2023, and released additional wolves in 2025. According to FWP’s wolf harvest dashboard, 211 wolves have been killed since the general hunting season opened on Sept. 15.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 11, 2026 00:09 UTC