Trump Orders Interior Department to Assess Wolf Protections, Allow Rancher Kills

President Trump signed an executive order Friday directing the Interior Department to assess whether gray wolves should lose their endangered-species protections.

The order also directs the Interior and Agriculture departments to allow ranchers to kill these animals if necessary to protect herds. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has 90 days to determine if gray and Mexican wolf populations have recovered enough to warrant delisting. The order notes that U.S. livestock herds are at a 75-year low, while demand for beef has risen by 10% in the past decade.

There are roughly 18,000 gray wolves across the U.S., and 319 Mexican wolves in the wild in 2025, up from four in 1998. Conservation groups have criticized the move, stating it could derail long-term recovery efforts for endangered wolf populations. Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project, called the order a huge distraction to placate a handful of ranchers.

Environmental groups point to studies suggesting wolf attacks on livestock are rare and have little impact on ranchers' income. An attempt to de-list gray wolves at a federal level in 2022 became tied up in litigation. Campaigners have indicated they intend to litigate if the Interior Department acts on Trump's order. The executive order does not give ranchers immediate license to shoot wolves. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins clarified that Secretary Burgum must complete his assessment before such actions are authorized.