On Thursday, a U.S. District Court ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prematurely removed the federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves last year. That means gray wolves will once again have federal protection in 44 of the lower 48 U.S. States. The animal activist group called Defenders for Wildlife calls the ruling a significant victory. The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Allison VanDerWal says the court ruling on gray wolves is shocking and disheartening for Minnesota cattle producers. “It’s been one of our top priorities for years. Just because one judge made this ruling, it doesn’t change the science of the wolf population in Minnesota. We know the gray wolf population has recovered. We want to make sure wolves and livestock can co-mingle, but that we’re able to manage the wolves that impact our livestock.” VanderWal says the industry is still trying to determine next steps. “We have 60 days to file an appeal, but we are still looking at this.”
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