Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Pacific Northwest Gray Wolf Management Act of 2015”.
Pacific Northwest Gray Wolf Management Act of 2015
A BILL
To prohibit treatment of gray wolves in Washington, Oregon, and Utah as endangered species, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition on treatment of wolves in Washington, Oregon, and Utah under the Endangered Species Act of 1973
In general— Any wolf in a covered State shall not be treated under any status of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including as an endangered species, a threatened species, an essential experimental population, or a nonessential experimental population.
Exclusive covered State management authority—
Exclusive State management authority— Except as provided in paragraph (2), each covered State shall have exclusive authority to manage wolves within the borders of that covered State.
Protection by covered States— A covered State may not provide protections to wolves that is greater than the protections that would be provided under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) if subsection (a) and paragraph (1) of this subsection did not apply.
Reimbursement by covered States— Nothing in this Act precludes any State from reimbursing the owner of livestock for any loss of livestock that results from depredation by wolves, or that derives from wolves, that were introduced into the wild.
Definitions— In this section:
State— The term “covered State” means each of the States of Washington, Oregon, and Utah.
Wolf— The term “wolf” means any species, subspecies, or population segment of Canis lupus.