PETERSBURG, ALASKA — The federal government has agreed to a late 2015 decision on whether a rare species of southeast Alaska wolves warrants protections as threatened or endangered species.
KFSK (http://is.gd/VbfQN3) reports the federal government filed a settlement agreement Monday, saying it will complete a 12-month finding on the Alexander Archipelago wolf by the end of next year.
The filing stems from a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and two other conservation groups earlier this year to force a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on whether the rare wolf should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The Alexander Archipelago wolves are a subspecies of gray wolves that live in old-growth forest of southeast Alaska.
Plaintiffs have said the government is long overdue on a listing decision.