The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week overturned a lower court’s ruling that prohibited the American Farm Bureau Federation and groups representing ranchers from defending a Trump administration decision to take the gray wolf off the list of endangered species.

With the reversal, the Farm Bureau, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Public Lands Council and American Sheep Industry Association will be allowed to appeal a decision from the lower court that vacated the delisting of the gray wolf in February.

Defenders of Wildlife and five other environmental groups filed the lawsuit in January 2021 against the Trump administration’s removal of Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in most of the lower 48 states.

In its ruling last week, the Court of Appeals found the district court abused its discretion by denying Farm Bureau and the ranching groups permissive intervention in the case.

Zippy Duvall, Farm Bureau president, said AFBF appreciates the Court of Appeals for recognizing agriculture’s interest in defending the delisting of the gray wolf.

“Farmers and ranchers share the goal of a healthy and thriving ecosystem and when the gray wolf exceeded recovery goals, it became an Endangered Species Act success story,” he said.

“With populations now thriving, management of the species should be the responsibility of the states, which can more effectively determine the most appropriate actions to manage gray wolf populations,” he said.

Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of PLC and NCBA natural resources, said the gray wolf is clearly recovered.

“Livestock producers are directly impacted by the species management decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, especially when it comes to species with significant federal footprints,” she said.

“The decision to allow the coalition to intervene in this case demonstrates what we have known all along: livestock producers deserve to have their voice heard on delisting the gray wolf,” she said.

Peter Orwick, executive director of the American Sheep Industry Association, said his group is pleased with the decision to allow the agricultural organizations to actively participate and seek a positive legal decision that supports farmers and ranchers.