I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 838 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 28, 2011 Mr. Kline (for himself, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Cravaack, Mr. Petri, Mr. Sensenbrenner, and Mrs. Miller of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To prohibit treatment of gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan as endangered species, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Western Great Lakes Wolf Management Act of 2011.

2.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

State

The term State means each of the States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. (2)

Wolf

The term wolf means any species, subspecies, or population segment of Canis lupus.

3.

Prohibition on treatment of wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan under the Endangered Species Act of 1973

Any wolf in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan 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.

4.

State management authority

(a)

State management authority

Each State shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the management of wolves within the borders of that State. (b)

Protection by States

Nothing in this Act shall preclude any State from providing protections to wolves equivalent to those protections provided by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). (c)

Reimbursement by States

Nothing in this Act shall preclude 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.