Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today a proposed agreement that allows Wyoming greater control in managing local wolf populations. U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., released the following statement:

“I appreciate Governor Mead’s hard work to come up with a solution that works for both Wyoming and for the Department of Interior,” Enzi said. “Wolf populations have exceeded all recovery goals.  Their population growth is endangering our state’s wildlife and livestock industry.  We cannot allow that to continue, and it is time to remove Endangered Species Act protection from these predators in Wyoming in the same way that protection was removed for wolves in Idaho and Montana.  Removing wolves from the Endangered Species List has been a priority of mine since I came to the Senate.  Although the deal must be approved by the Wyoming State Legislature, I am grateful to see movement on an issue that has limited the state’s ability to address a local problem for so many years.

“Rep. Lummis and Senator Barrasso also deserve credit for their work on this issue. Rep. Lummis was able to use her seat on the House Appropriations Committee to get the wolf language included in the Interior Appropriations bill. Senator Barrasso has been using his committee assignments to push this cause as well.”