State- and Science-based Gray Wolf Reintroduction Act of 2020

To establish a process for State determinations with respect to Canis lupus 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the State- and Science-based Gray Wolf Reintroduction Act of 2020 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) For the last 20 years, scientists at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have recommended against further reintroduction of gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains where the species has already exceeded recovery goals. (2) The United States Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To Reclassify and Remove the Gray Wolf From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in Portions of the Conterminous United States; Establishment of Two Special Regulations for Threatened Gray Wolves [e]stablishing additional populations would provide no additional genetic benefits to wolf recovery under the Act… new recovery programs are not necessary to achieve recovery of the gray wolf under the Act either as formerly listed in the 48 States and Mexico or under the new listings established by this final rule (3) Under President Obama, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule on April 2, 2009, titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To Identify the Western Great Lakes Populations of Gray Wolves as a Distinct Population Segment and To Revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (4) Under President Obama, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule on September 10, 2012 (77 Fed. Reg. 55530), that was reinstated on March 3, 2017, by the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (No. 14–5300), and further republished on May 1, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 20284), which states that the best scientific and commercial data available indicate that gray wolves in Wyoming have recovered and are no longer in need of protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 3. State reintroduction of Canis lupus (a) State petition for reintroduction If Canis lupus 16 U.S.C. 1533(a) Canis lupus (1) the Governor of such State submits to the Secretary a petition that includes the information described in subsection (b); and (2) such petition is approved by the Secretary. (b) Information described The information described in this subsection is the following: (1) A science-based finding from the State fish and wildlife department that reintroduction of Canis lupus (A) to support a Canis lupus 16 U.S.C. 1533(f) (B) to support Canis lupus (2) A description of the impact that Canis lupus (3) A description of— (A) the wild ungulate population management objectives of such State; (B) the Federal resources the State uses to maintain and meet such objectives; and (C) how Canis lupus (c) Notice of petition Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a State petition for reintroduction of Canis lupus (1) provide to each chief executive of an affected county notice of the State petition; and (2) solicit from each such chief executive— (A) information about the anticipated effects of such reintroduction, including how— (i) hunting opportunities for wild ungulate populations in the county could be impacted by such reintroduction and the estimated economic effect of any expected reduction in such opportunities; and (ii) such reintroduction could result in losses of stock animals within the county and the economic impact of such losses; and (B) a recommendation for approval or denial of the petition. (d) Effect of county determination Not later than 6 months after the date on which the Secretary makes a solicitation under subsection (c)(2), if a chief executive of an affected county submits to the Secretary a recommendation under subsection (c)(2)(B) that the relevant petition be denied, the Secretary may not approve such petition pursuant to subsection (a)(2). (e) Protection of stock animals and dogs (1) In general If the Secretary approves a petition pursuant to subsection (a)(2), and if a person meets the requirements described in paragraph (2), such person may take a Canis lupus (2) Requirements described The requirements described in this paragraph are the following: (A) The person is not— (i) trespassing; or (ii) on land administered by the Director of the National Park Service. (B) The person did not intentionally bait, feed, or otherwise attract the Canis lupus (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Chief executive of an affected county The term chief executive of an affected county Canis lupus (2) Secretary The term Secretary (3) State fish and wildlife department The term State fish and wildlife department 16 U.S.C. 669a (4) Stock animal The term stock animal (5) Take The term take 16 U.S.C. 1532 (6) Wild ungulate population The term wild ungulate population

Summary: State- and Science-based Gray Wolf Reintroduction Act of 2020 This bill requires a state to obtain approval from the Department of the Interior before reintroducing the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and allows a person to take (e.g., kill or harm) a gray wolf under certain circumstances. Specifically, the bill prohibits a state from reintroducing the gray wolf unless Interior approves a state petition that meets the requirements of this bill. If an affected county makes a recommendation to deny the petition, then Interior may not approve the petition. A person in a state with an approved petition may take a gray wolf that is attacking a stock animal or dog if the person (1) is not trespassing or on land administered by the National Park Service; and (2) did not intentionally bait, feed, or otherwise attract the wolf.