ARCHIVES
December 2010: After a thorough review of all the available science, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the contiguous United States population of wolverine should be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, the rulemaking to propose ESA protections for the wolverine will be delayed while we work on listing proposals for other species in greater need. The wolverine will be added to the list of candidates for ESA protection. As a candidate species, the wolverine will not receive protection under the ESA; however, we will review its status annually and will continue to work with landowners and partners to implement voluntary conservation measures.
The results of status review indicate that climate warming is the primary threat to wolverine. Our evaluation found that the effects of climate warming are serious but so far have not resulted in any detectable population effects to the species. Because the threat of climate warming is not imminent, we will use our resources to work on listing determinations for species at greater risk of extinction.
- Press Release: December 13, 2010 Wolverine to be Designated a Candidate for Endangered Species Protection
- Federal Register Notice: December 13, 2010 12-month Finding on a Petition to List the North American Wolverine as Endangered or Threatened
- Questions and Answers
- Fact Sheet
- Photos on Flickr
April 2010: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated a status review of the wolverine to determine whether the species warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The status review will examine potential wolverine populations in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
The Service is seeking the latest scientific and commercial information on the status of the wolverine from the public, government agencies, tribes, industry and the scientific and conservation communities. After gathering and analyzing this information, the Service will determine whether to propose adding the wolverine to the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Information will be received until May 17, 2010.
- Federal Register Notice: April 15, 2010 Initiation of Status Review of the North American Wolverine in the Contiguous United States
- Press Release: April 15, 2010 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Review Status of the Wolverine Public Comment Period Closes May 17, 2010
March 2008: NOT WARRANTED FINDING - In a finding published March 11, 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the contiguous United States population of wolverine is not a listable entity under the Endangered Species Act and therefore not eligible for protection under the Act.
The Service continues to seek new information regarding the status of the wolverine and continues to support cooperative conservation efforts to benefit the species in its native range.
- Federal Register Notice: 12-Month Finding on a Petition to List the North American Wolverine as Threatened or Endangered
- Press Release: Endangered Species Act Protection for Wolverine Not Warranted
2007: STATUS REVIEW - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it is initiating a status review of the wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) to determine whether the species wattants protection under the Endangered Species Act.
- Press Release: June 5, 2007 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Review Status of the Wolverine Extension Order April 6, 2007
- Support Memo April 5, 2007
- Defendant's Unopposed Motion April 5, 2007
- Summary Judgment Order September 26, 2006
October 2003: WOLVERINE PETITION "NOT SUBSTANTIAL" -The Biodiversity Legal Foundation and five other organizations petitioned the Service to list the wolverine within the contiguous United States and designate critical habitat. The Service determined that the petition and other currently available data is insufficient to determine wolverine distribution, habitat requirements, and whether there are threats to the continued existence of the wolverine.
Federal Register Notice: 90-Day Finding for
a Petition to List as Endangered or Threatened Wolverine in the United
States, October 21, 2003
90-Day Finding Literature Cited,
October 28, 2003
Press Release: Wolverine Will Not Be Considered for Listing Under the
Endangered Species Act, October 21, 2003
Questions and Answers: Regarding the Petition to List the Wolverine
Petition Bibliography
DISCLAIMER - The wolverine petition is available here in Adobe Acrobat 4.0 (PDF) format for viewing and/or downloading. The document was converted to an electronic format using a scanner and an optical character recognition application. Service staff have made every effort to preserve the original format and text, but discrepancies may occur. Note that the materials in the appendices are too extensive to include on this site. Please contact the petitioners if you have questions concerning the document, citations or appendices.
