{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=13&itemid=1495", "Grijalva Questions Fish and Wildlife Service Decision to Remove Wolves From Endangered Species List Across Most of Western U.S.", "2013-06-07", "2013", "2013-06", "Democrat", "House", "AZ", "Ra\u00fal Grijalva", "G000551", "grijalva.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tucson, Ariz. \u2013 Rep. Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva today questioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u2019s (FWS) newly proposed rule to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for most gray wolves in the lower 48 states.\r\n\r\n\tThe gray wolf was classified as an endangered and threatened species under the ESA in 1973, the same year Congress passed the law. Thanks to those increased protections, wolf populations have increased throughout the West since becoming nearly extinct in the 1950s.\r\n\r\n\tAfter rumors about a proposed rule led to a temporary pause by the agency earlier this year, FWS announced today that it will transfer the management of Northern gray wolves to state wildlife management agencies. The rule declares the Mexican gray wolf a distinct subspecies that will continue to receive ESA protection.\r\n\r\n\tAccording to FWS, the Mexican gray wolf is the most genetically distinct of the U.S. gray wolf population. A small pack reintroduced in 1998 lives in the Blue Range Wolf Recover Area, an area that spans New Mexico and Arizona.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cWolves are an integral part of the North American ecosystem, and their reintroduction\u00a0has invigorated landscapes in ways that we didn\u2019t anticipate,\u201d said Rep. Grijalva. \u201cI\u2019m very disappointed by this proposed rule. After years of progress, now is not the right time to hand over this delicate and complicated multi-state effort to local agencies. Federal protections are working, and they should continue until a scientific consensus determines the gray wolf is fully recovered throughout its former habitat.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tFWS claims that the decision is based on the best available science, but many scientists close to the recovery effort warn that the gray wolf is a long way from full recovery and express concern that FWS has ignored suitable habitat in many regions of the country. Their position is outlined in the attached letter, which you can read online at http://1.usa.gov/ZyN58Q.\r\n\r\n\tGrijalva\u2019s concerns with the proposal are detailed in a recent letter he sent to FWS. You can read it at http://1.usa.gov/17vcNA4.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=13&itemid=1495"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6768608000129461, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}