Conservation Group Sues to Protect Wolverine Habitat

Center for Biological Diversity files lawsuit against U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over delayed critical habitat designation.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Missoula, Montana, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's delay in determining critical habitat for wolverines, a federally listed threatened species. The lawsuit alleges that the government has failed to meet the legal deadlines for designating the wolverines' critical habitat, which is crucial for protecting the rare, high-elevation carnivores as their populations decline due to climate change and habitat loss.

Why it matters

The designation of critical habitat is a key protection under the Endangered Species Act, as it outlines the areas essential for the conservation of the species and requires the government to take steps to safeguard those areas. Without this designation, the wolverines' habitat remains vulnerable to threats like climate change, which is rapidly shrinking the deep snow cover the species requires for denning and food caching.

The details

The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to designate critical habitat for the wolverines by November 2025, one year after the species was listed as threatened in November 2023. However, the government has failed to do so, prompting the Center for Biological Diversity to file the lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that the lack of critical habitat designation is hindering efforts to protect the wolverines, as climate change and habitat loss continue to threaten the species, which numbers less than 300 in the lower 48 states.

  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed wolverines as a threatened species in November 2023.
  • The government had one year, until November 2025, to designate critical habitat for the wolverines.

The players

Center for Biological Diversity

A conservation group that has filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the delayed critical habitat designation for wolverines.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The federal agency responsible for managing and protecting endangered and threatened species, including the wolverine.

Kathleen L. DeSoto

The federal magistrate in Missoula, Montana, who is presiding over the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity.

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What they’re saying

“The Fish and Wildlife Service's delay in protecting the wild places that wolverines call home threatens to push them closer to extinction. In the face of climate change, it's crucial to protect the rugged, snowy areas that the wolverines need to survive.”

— Andrea Zaccardi, Carnivore Conservation Legal Director, Center for Biological Diversity (dailyfly.com)

What’s next

The court will set a deadline for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat for the wolverines.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the urgent need to protect the wolverine's habitat as climate change continues to threaten the species' survival. The designation of critical habitat is a crucial step in ensuring the long-term conservation of this rare, high-elevation carnivore.