Oregon gray wolf. The Center for Biological Diversity is petitioning the court to compel the Trump administration to comply with an agreement to protect the gray wolf population in Oregon under the Endangered Species Act, which was made under the Biden administration.(Center for Biological Diversity )

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging the agency failed to develop a national gray wolf recovery plan as required under the Endangered Species Act. Two years ago, the nonprofit won a similar lawsuit.

The Trump administration published a finding in November that protecting the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act is “no longer appropriate” and that the agency would not develop an updated recovery plan.

The agency’s recent finding reflects a policy reversal. In 2024, under the Biden administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced a national recovery plan for gray wolves, following an agreement reached after a 2022 lawsuit seeking a national wolf recovery plan.

Collette Adkins, director of the carnivore conservation program and a senior attorney at the center, discusses details of the current lawsuit and the importance of federal protection for gray wolves.