In 2020 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule removing gray-wolf entities in the lower 48 states and Mexico from the federal endangered and threatened list, except for the separately listed Mexican wolf. That 2020 rule was later vacated by a federal court in 2022.
Gray wolf protections: September 2026 federal review
What changes to federal and state wolf protections may follow the September 4, 2026 executive order, and what legal steps are required before any delisting or downlisting occurs?
Overview
On September 4, 2026, President Donald Trump signed the executive order “Supporting America’s Ranchers.” It directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine within 90 days whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves meet Endangered Species Act recovery criteria for delisting or downlisting. If the Secretary finds that the criteria are met, the order directs the Department to begin the applicable process and prepare legislative recommendations. It also calls for consultation with states about their own protections and for consideration of changes to standards governing lethal removal in livestock or human-safety situations. The order begins a review and policy process; it is not, by itself, a final delisting rule.
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Timeline
Add· Washington, D.C.
President Trump signed the executive order “Supporting America’s Ranchers.” Section 3 directs the Interior Secretary, within 90 days, to determine whether the gray wolf and Mexican wolf meet recovery criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act.
United States
If the Interior Secretary determines that recovery criteria have been met, the order directs the Department to begin the process of delisting or downlisting the gray wolf or Mexican wolf and to prepare a legislative recommendation to the President.
After such a recovery determination, the order calls for federal engagement with states to encourage review of state protected-species listings and standards for lethal takes of gray and Mexican wolves.
The order also directs Interior and Agriculture to consider changes to compensation standards for verified wolf depredation and to consider revisions that could allow greater emergency responsiveness for lethal removal in livestock or human-safety situations.
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