Forest Service Study of Grazing Impacts to Wolves Avoids Lawsuit

The U.S. Forest Service can avoid a challenge by environmental groups to its review of livestock grazing’s impacts to gray wolves and other protected species in the Colville National Forest, a Washington federal court ruled.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the primary agency responsible for wolf management operations, and it wasn’t named in the groups’ lawsuit, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. As a result, the groups failed to show a favorable ruling will reduce lethal gray wolf removals, the court said.

The Sept. 10 ruling came as a loss for ...