President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday directing federal officials to review Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves and Mexican wolves, a move that could make it easier for ranchers to kill predators threatening livestock as the administration looks to support the cattle industry and lower beef prices.
The order gives Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 90 days to determine whether the wolves have met federal recovery criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act. If they have, the administration would begin the process of removing or reducing their federal protections while preparing legislative recommendations for Congress.
The order also directs the Interior and Agriculture departments to consider
revising regulations governing lethal wolf removal, compensation programs for livestock losses and emergency responses involving wolves that threaten livestock or human safety.
Trump signed the order alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and ranchers during an Oval Office ceremony, according to reporting from The Hill.
"They're destroying these businesses," Trump said. "You watch them go right through your herd, and they're violent."
Rollins said ranchers in areas where wolves remain federally protected have been unable to shoot predators attacking their livestock.
"Because they're on the endangered species list, they can't shoot them," Rollins said. "They have to sit and watch them destroy their herd."
Why the administration says action is needed
The wolf directive was one of two executive orders Trump signed Friday as the administration seeks to bolster the cattle industry following criticism from ranchers over its recent decision to temporarily ease tariffs on imported beef in an effort to lower grocery prices.
The White House says the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years even as demand for beef has continued to grow. The order directs federal agencies to look for ways to strengthen the ranching industry, study whether beef should be required to carry country-of-origin labels and take steps intended to help lower prices for consumers.
Trump also signed a separate executive order intended to expand opportunities for ranchers to process and sell meat from their own operations, including measures aimed at helping smaller meat processors compete with the nation's largest companies.
Order could reshape federal wolf protections
Gray wolves were first listed as endangered in 1967 after populations declined because of hunting and other human activities.
The Trump administration removed federal protections for gray wolves across most of the Lower 48 states in 2020, but a federal judge restored those protections in 2022 after wildlife organizations challenged the rule in court, The Hill reported. House Republicans voted last year to reinstate the 2020 rule, though the legislation remains pending in the Senate.
Friday's executive order also directs Burgum to prepare legislative recommendations to delist gray wolves and Mexican wolves. If the Interior Department determines the animals have met recovery goals, the administration will also work with states to encourage them to remove state-level protections and revise standards governing lethal wolf removal.
Animal welfare groups condemn move
Humane World for Animals and the Humane World Action Fund criticized the executive order, arguing it could reverse decades of wolf recovery.
Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund, called wolves a scapegoat for broader challenges facing ranchers.
"Scapegoating wolves is a cynical and performative gesture given the immense harm that the Trump administration has inflicted on our nation's ranchers with irresponsible tariffs," Amundson said in a statement.
Amundson cited U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing that fewer than 1% of cattle and sheep deaths are caused by wild carnivores, including wolves. She said weakening federal protections would result in "untold death and cruelty" for gray wolves, which she said are still recovering after being driven to the brink of extinction across much of the Lower 48 states.
Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, said removing or weakening federal protections would jeopardize decades of conservation work.
"The war on wolves needs to end, not escalate," Block said, adding that decisions about wolf management "should be based on science, not political favors."
Beef prices remain central to debate
Retail beef prices have reached record highs as the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years, according to Reuters. The administration recently expanded access to lower-tariff imported beef to increase supplies and reduce grocery costs, a move that drew criticism from cattle producers who warned additional imports could make it harder to rebuild domestic herds.
The White House has said Friday's executive orders are intended to support American ranchers, increase competition in meat processing, improve market access for domestic producers and help lower food prices for consumers.
Contributing: Reuters
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump orders review of wolf protections for ranchers
