Environmental Groups Sue Oregon Over Wolf Protections

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Three environmental groups are suing Oregon wildlife officials over their decision to remove the gray wolf from the state's Endangered Species Act list.

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity and two other groups say it's premature to delist the animal with just 80 adult wolves living in the state.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission stripped wolves of their endangered status in November, after state biologists said the species won't go extinct. But some independent scientists disagree with that conclusion.

The environmental groups said state protection is needed because federal officials are proposing to strip wolves of federal protections in most of the lower 48, including in western Oregon. Wolves in eastern Oregon were taken off the federal endangered list four years ago.