By the time the Rocky Mountain wolf subspecies was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1973, hunting and trapping had pushed gray wolf numbers in … The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. Thanks to this protection, wolf populations are increasing in numbers in the northern Rockies, Great Lakes and the … Things began to get better for the gray wolf beginning in 1973 with the passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Gray wolves were deemed “recovered” in the N. Rockies and removed from federal protection in 2011. He's a critic of the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan, calling it … The Arizona Republican introduced the measure last week. eral Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection for gray wolves (Canis lupus, Linnaeus) throughout the lower 48 U.S. states, except for the Mexican wolf subspecies (C. l. baileyi; 78 Fed. The Federal Endangered Species Act. Fish & Wildlife Service Wolf Recovery under the Endangered Species Act Before the arrival of European settlers, wolves ranged widely across the continent, from coast to coast and from Canada to Mexico. Frequently referred to as the “crown jewel” of our nation’s environmental laws, the ESA has been responsible for saving many species formerly on the brink of extinction, including the bald eagle, gray wolf and California sea otter. 35,664). Many species were shrinking in population, and some even on the edge of extinction due to a loss of food and habitat. The gray wolf was once found through most of North America. 68 FR 15804, 15818 . Releases continue every year in order to reach a goal of 100 wild animals. Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or the Act; 16 U.S.C. The 1973 Endangered Species Act replaced earlier laws enacted in 1966 and 1969 that proved insufficient to protect endangered wildlife. The Mexican gray wolf program calls for managed breeding of captive animals. At its low point in the 1950s, Minnesota’s gray wolf population was estimated to be just 400 animals. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 to replace the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 and in direct response to the 1973 signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).1 ESA provides a federal program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the ecosystems upon which … At this time, the Endangered Species Act was passed, which gave gray wolves federal protection. § 1531 et seq.) Over the past 30 years, the ESA has helped increase wolf numbers in the Northern Rockies. Minnesota and on Isle Royale, Michigan. 8249), signed by the United States on March 3, 1973, and the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere (50 Stat. The 1973 Act implemented the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (T.I.A.S.