Overview
- Sen. Ron Johnson sought unanimous consent to pass S.1306 but an objection in the Senate left the bill pending rather than cleared for immediate passage.
- S.1306 would reissue the 2020 rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 and would transfer primary management authority from federal protection to state wildlife agencies.
- National and state livestock groups, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, urged the Senate to pass the bill and thanked Johnson for raising the issue.
- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources declared an emergency after its compensation fund for wolf depredation ran out, creating payment delays for producers and following more than 161 confirmed cattle depredations, 200-plus missing-calf claims, and roughly $650,000 paid in claims since 2021.
- The debate taps a longer dispute over Endangered Species Act protections for wolves, with supporters citing decades of recovery data and opponents historically citing conservation and legal concerns; the next step to watch is whether Senate leaders schedule floor consideration of S.1306.