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Federal Court Puts Gray Wolf Back On Endangered Species List

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - No more hunting or trapping — effective immediately.

That's the word from a federal judge who overturned an Obama administrations decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list in the Great Lakes Region.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday the removal was "arbitrary and capricious" and violated the federal Endangered Species Act.

In its 111-page ruling, the court chided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to explain why it ignored the potential for further recovery of wolves into areas of its historic range that remain viable habitat for the species, according to a media release. The court also noted that the USFWS has failed to explain how the "virtually unregulated" killing of wolves by states in the Great Lakes region does not constitute a continued threat to the species.

Jill Fritz, the Michigan Senior State Director for the Humane Society of the United States and Director of "Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, says she couldn't be happier.

"It is absolutely a win," she told WWJ Newsradio 950, after the ruling came down Friday afternoon. "It's a win for the wolves and it's a win against the incredibly irresponsible wildlife management programs that had been set up by the wildlife agencies in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin."

When the USFWS removed the gray wolf from same list in 2012, those three states made a strong push to hunt the wolves.

"Minnesota and Wisconsin immediately passed legislation to begin aggressively hunting and trapping wolves for sport, and Michigan followed suit about months later," said Fritz. "All told, in a very short time since those federal protections were removed, trophy hunters and trappers have killed 1,500 Great Lakes wolves."

Based on a study conducted last winter, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources put the state's wolf population at 636 – down from 658 in 2013 and 687 in 2012.

Now that they're back under federal protection, Fritz says the wolves can begin their population recovery.

This latest comes after, last month, Michigan voters rejected two state laws that allow hunting of gray wolves in largely symbolic referendums.

One measure removed the wolf from the state endangered list and classified it as a game species. The other empowered the appointed Natural Resources Commission to decide whether wolves should be hunted.

Supporters of wolf hunting in Michigan say the sport addresses a problem of attacks on livestock and pets.

[Catch up on this story].

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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