Judge rules Fish and Wildlife broke the law in denying wolves federal protections

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes KEY TAKEAWAYS

A Montana federal judge ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act in 2020.

The ruling vacates the agency's previous decision to delist gray wolves' federal protections.

The agency must now re-evaluate the gray wolf's status using best science and following the act's guidelines.

MISSOULA, Mont. — A Montana federal judge has ruled that the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act when it removed protections from the gray wolf last year.

In a 105-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy vacated a prior finding by the agency that the Northern Rockies gray wolves were a valid "distinct population segment," whose populations had recovered so well that it no longer needed federal