Wisconsin wants gray wolf removed from endangered list
The state of Wisconsin is again asking federal authorities to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list because its population is the highest since it recolonized in Wisconsin.
Minnesota made a similar request in March.
Reclassifying the gray wolf would allow authorities to use lethal means to control the population, which increased about 12 percent over the winter in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matthew Frank says the gray wolf is in no danger of extinction in Wisconsin and won't be in the foreseeable future.
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The number of wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan is estimated at more than 4,000.
A decision from the U.S. Department of Interior could take months. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the state is also asking for interim authority to kill wolves that have attacked livestock and other animals.
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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com
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