“ While not immediately obvious , these two petitions are following a blueprint established by the federal courts on gray wolves and the ESA ,” said Todd Adkins , vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance . “ Instead of a quick fix , this is a long-term strategy to get wolf management back in the state agencies where it belongs instead of locked

up in litigation brought by the extremists to keep their fundraising juggernaut running full steam 24 / 7 , 365 .”

Together with the Michigan Bear Hunters Association , Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen Association and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association , the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance filed a pair of petitions under the Endangered Species Act ( ESA ) with the U . S . Fish & Wildlife Service ( FWS ) on gray wolves . One petition is to recognize and delist a Western Great Lakes Distinct Population ( WGL DPS ) of wolves within Michigan , Minnesota and Wisconsin ( and areas of adjoining states ), while the other petition requests FWS to exercise specific

management options on remnant wolf populations existing outside of the WGL DPS and the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment ( NRM DPS ) created by Congress in 2011 .

“ It ’ s critical that we put together a long-term plan to get the science back in wildlife management on wolves ,” said Todd Adkins , vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance . “ The ESA petition process is abused by the animal extremists to handcuff wildlife managers , but in this case , we are using the same process to get the state agencies and science back into the mix .”

In the WGL DPS petition , the coalition points out that wolf populations have

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