WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper applauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Final Record of Decision (ROD) to create more flexibility for gray wolf management under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. The 10(j) rule will become effective on December 8, 2023, 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
“This final rule respects the will of Colorado voters, farmers, ranchers, and conservationists, and sets our state up for responsible gray wolf reintroduction,” said Hickenlooper.
In 2021, Hickenlooper sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and USFWS Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams requesting a Section 10(j) designation to improve state and stakeholder management capabilities. Hickenlooper also submitted a formal public comment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, encouraging the agency to allow more flexible management of the gray wolf through Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act.
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