WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 16, 2018) – Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) voted in favor of the Manage our Wolves Act (H.R. 6784), a bill she was an original cosponsor of, to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act.

“Eastern Washington knows better how to manage our land and wildlife than someone sitting in a cubicle in Washington, D.C.,” said Cathy. “By delisting the gray wolf, we can allow people in our state and community to use science-based management practices that will benefit both our endangered and native animals while protecting farmers and ranchers. I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill because it is important to people here in Eastern Washington.”

This morning, Cathy spoke on the House floor in support of the Manage our Wolves Act. You can watch her full remarks here:

In her remarks, she said, “In the fall of 2013, the Obama Administration announced that the gray wolf is recovered. President Obama’s Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe stated, ‘[the gray wolf] is no longer endangered or threatened with extinction…as we propose to remove ESA protections, states like Washington and Oregon are managing expanding populations under protective state laws.’ Unfortunately, the gray wolf was not delisted.”

NOTE: Earlier this year, Cathy sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke formally requesting the department delist the gray wolf. You can read that letter here.

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