The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list.

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

The western Great Lakes region includes Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

The delisting takes effect Jan. 27. State departments will manage wolves after the delisting. You can view the Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota wolf management plans here:

State wolf management plans

The core population of the region’s gray wolves live in the northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 4,000 wolves in those states,  far exceeding recovery goals. The feds will monitor wolf populations in the three states for at least five years after the delisting to make sure the populations don’t dip, and can reinstate the endangered listing if they feel it’s necessary.

But officials seem confident population recovery has been successful.

“Gray wolves are thriving in the Great Lakes region, and their successful recovery is a testament to the hard work of the Service and our state and local partners,”  Dan Ashe, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a prepared statement. “We are confident state and tribal wildlife managers in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin will effectively manage healthy wolf populations now that federal protection is no longer needed.”

The core population of gray wolves in the region is in the northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Gray wolves were listed as threatened in Minnesota and endangered throughout the remaining lower 47 states in 1978. According the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota population of wolves has expanded to Michigan and Wisconsin.

The status of wolves outside this segment will not change.

The criteria for delisting:

• The Minnesota population’s continued survival is assured.

• A second population outside of Minnesota and Isle Royale (Michigan) is re-established, having at least 100 wolves in late winter if located within 100 miles of the Minnesota wolf population or having at least 200 wolves if located beyond that distance. A Wisconsin-Michigan population of 100 is considered viable because continued immigration of Minnesota wolves will supplement it.

• These population levels (outside of Minnesota) are maintained for five consecutive years (that is, for six annual wolf surveys).

State officials applauded the announcement.

“This is great news for the state’s wolf population and for Michigan citizens who have been affected by this issue,”  Rodney Stokes, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said in a prepared statement. . “Treating wolves as an endangered species, when the population has exceeded federal recovery goals in Michigan for more than a decade, has negatively impacted public opinion in areas of Michigan where wolves are established on the landscape.”