Wolf hunt moratorium legislation introduced

Legislation was introduced yesterday to reinstate a five-year moratorium on recreational wolf hunting and trapping. The House bill is a companion to one already in the Senate.

The bill calls for a five-year wait before another wolf hunting season can be proposed, and only for population management purposes after other options are explored.

Also, members of Congress are asking federal officials not to revoke protections for the gray wolf in sections of the lower 48 states where the predator remains on the endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether to drop the wolf from the endangered list in areas where none are known to exist.

A letter to the agency sent Tuesday by 52 U.S. House members says legal protections should remain because the wolf could continue expanding its territory elsewhere, benefiting the environment.