This listserve was created by Defenders of Wildlife as a means to disseminate information about wolf recovery in the Pacific western states.

The gray wolf, Canis lupus, was listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1974. Over the next 25 years, the federal government devised recovery plans for wolves in several regions of the United States. Wolves once lived throughout large portions of the Pacific west but, as in nearly all of the lower 48 states, wolves here were largely extirpated by the 1920's-1940's. To date, no wolf populations have been recovered in Washington, Oregon or California and the federal government currently has no plans to focus recovery efforts in the region, despite the existence of suitable wolf habitat in portions of each of these states.

As the federal government begins to reduce and/or eliminate protections for wolves under the Endangered Species Act, it is legally required that the public be permitted to participate in the decision-making process. And, state actions concerning wolves will require public input to counter anti-wolf interests that will attempt to chart the course for wolves in the individual state legislatures and wildlife agencies.

This listserve will keep members apprised of important developments for wolves in the Pacific western states and will alert participants to actions which can be taken on behalf of wolf recovery at both the state and federal levels. It will also apprise members of public education events related to wolves occurring in this region of the country.