The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to take gray wolves in the great lakes area off the endangered species list Friday, drawing praise from Gov. Scott Walker's administration.
According to the USFWS, the gray wolf population in Wisconsin has reached 690 and there are over 4,000 wolves total between Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.
""We are taking this step because wolf populations have met recovery goals and no longer need the protection of the Endangered Species Act,"" the agency said in a statement.
Walker said he is glad the state will have the responsibility of managing the wolf population rather than the federal government.
""We believe transferring management of wolves to the state will allow better control of the population, especially problem animals and will provide needed protections for livestock and pet owners,"" Walker wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
