GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s wolves are back under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act.
A federal judge in Montana on Thursday overturned the Obama administration’s decision to give wolf management to states, including Oregon.
About 14 wolves are now in northeastern Oregon since they started swimming the Snake River in 1998 from Idaho, where they were reintroduced as part of a federal effort to get them off the endangered species list.
For the past year, Oregon has taken the lead on dealing with wolf kills on cattle and sheep.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued a kill order on two wolves in the Imnaha pack over livestock kills. The order is being challenged in federal court by conservation groups.
