Officials Remove Wolf from State Endangered Species List

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon wildlife officials have voted to remove the gray wolf from the state's Endangered Species Act list.

The state's Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-2 to delist the wolves during a Monday meeting in Salem. Eighty-one wolves now live in Oregon. State biologists said the species is not in danger of extinction here. But some independent scientists disagree with that conclusion.

While delisting wolves wouldn't lead to immediate changes, more lethal measures could be allowed to manage them in the future. The action has no effect on wolves in some areas further west, which are still protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Wolves in eastern Oregon were taken off the federal list four years ago.