Trump order directs Interior Department to review gray wolf protections

The short version

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to assess whether gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves should be removed from the Endangered Species Act.[The Guardian]
• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has three months to review species recovery and evaluate making wolf-killing authorizations easier.[The Guardian]
• The directive also encourages federal agencies to urge states to dismantle local protections and loosen restrictions.[The Guardian]
• Most wolves in the lower 48 states remain federally protected under a 2022 court order, and conservation groups have pledged legal challenges against premature delisting.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• The executive order gives Interior Secretary Doug Burgum a three-month deadline to determine if gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves have sufficiently recovered for federal delisting.[The Guardian]
• The order directs federal officials to encourage states to remove their own wolf protections and ease local restrictions on wolf killing.[The Guardian]
• A 2022 federal court ruling maintains Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across most contiguous states pending ongoing litigation.[The Guardian]
• The Mexican gray wolf recovery plan requires a population average exceeding 320 animals across four consecutive years before delisting is considered.[The Guardian]
• Arizona and New Mexico recorded 319 Mexican gray wolves at the end of 2025, marking the first year counted toward the delisting criteria.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Trump order directs officials to consider stripping protections for gray wolvesThe Guardian - World