Holte Provides Comments at Gray Wolf Rule Meeting

On Friday, May 3, Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte provided public comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule to remove gray wolves in the lower 48 states from the endangered species list. His comments, given at a meeting hosted by Senator Ron Johnson, emphasized the need for modernization of the Endangered Species Act.

“Although wolf numbers in our state have long recovered past the point of needing federal protection, lawsuits from extreme animal rights groups have kept this issue in a back-and-forth legal limbo,” said Holte. “Our farmers struggle to protect their livestock from the growing population of these predators.”

Comments can be submitted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule until May 14. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery.

“I hope that my fellow farmers and agriculturists will join me in submitting comments to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Holte. “The time is now to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act so farmers won’t have their hands tied when it comes to defending their livestock and livelihoods.”