LANSING — The Michigan State House has adopted a resolution urging Congress to enact legislation reinstating the Department of Interior’s prior removal of gray wolves from the endangered species list — a step towards reinstituting wolf hunts in Michigan.

“By continuing to benefit from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the killing of these predators unless they pose a direct and immediate threat, the gray wolf population may continue to swell and consequently wreak havoc on an already severely declining white-tail deer population in Michigan,” the resolution read in part.

Gray wolves have been protected by federal laws since 1967, including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 2020, under the first Trump administration, gray wolves were delisted as an endangered species. That decision was reversed by a federal court in 2022 and the wolves were reclassified as endangered most U.S. states.

The resolution approved April 23 argues that the population has rebounded sufficiently to have the gray wolf population managed by states. The resolution will be sent to the president of the United States, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and to the members of the Michigan Congressional Delegation.

The resolution is universally sponsored by the U.P. members of the Michigan State House of Representatives, but was introduced by Rep. Parker Fairbairn of the 107th District. Joining him were Rep. David Prestin (107th), Rep. Karl Bohnak (109th), Rep. Gregory Markkanen (110th), and 20 representatives from the Lower Peninsula.

Delisting gray wolves has some support in Washington. Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert introduced the “Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025” and the “Trust the Science Act” earlier this year, both of which would remove gray wolves from the list of endangered species. Neither bill takes any other actions beyond the removal of gray wolves from the list, nor as either bill been passed the House of Representatives.