Why are northeastern states excluded from the action?
In 2003 the Service established distinct population segments for gray wolves in three large areas of the country—the Western Distinct Population Segment, the Eastern DPS, and the Southwestern DPS—and downlisted wolves in Western and Eastern segments to threatened status. In 2004 we proposed to remove Endangered Species Act protection (i.e., delisting) for gray wolves in the Eastern DPS. However, a number of animal welfare and environmental organizations filed suit in two federal district courts in which they challenged the 2003 DPSs. Those courts ruled that our DPS boundaries included more area than was appropriate, and thus our DPSs were not valid and the delisting proposal for the Eastern DPS had to be withdrawn. In 2006, the Service proposed establishing and delisting the smaller western Great Lakes DPS that includes the wolf populations in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. 4) What is a Distinct Population Segment? The Endangered Species Act allows the listing and delisting of spec
