Conservation Groups Sue to Protect Wolverine Habitat

Lawsuit alleges U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to designate critical habitat for threatened species within legal deadlines.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Another conservation group, the Center for Biological Diversity, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to designate critical habitat for the federally threatened wolverine within the legally required timeframe. The lawsuit argues that without a habitat designation, the government cannot adequately protect the rare, high-elevation carnivores, whose population in the lower 48 states numbers less than 300.

Why it matters

The designation of critical habitat is a crucial step in protecting threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Without this designation, the government lacks the necessary legal framework to safeguard the areas where wolverines live and reproduce, which are threatened by climate change and loss of snowpack.

The details

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Missoula, Montana, alleges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had one year after listing the wolverine as threatened in November 2023 to determine its critical habitat, with an additional year's worth of time if necessary. However, the government has yet to publish or approve a habitat designation, which the lawsuit argues is a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit seeks to force the government to establish a date-specific plan to protect wolverine habitat.

  • The wolverine was listed as a threatened species in November 2023.
  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had one year after the listing to determine the wolverine's critical habitat, with an additional year if necessary.
  • The deadline for the critical habitat designation has passed, but the government has not yet taken action.

The players

Center for Biological Diversity

A conservation group that has filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to designate critical habitat for the threatened wolverine.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The federal agency responsible for enforcing the Endangered Species Act and determining critical habitat for threatened and endangered species.

Kathleen L. DeSoto

The magistrate judge in the federal court in Missoula, Montana, where the lawsuit has been filed.

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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 (Daily Montanan)

What’s next

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

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the importance of timely action by the government to protect threatened and endangered species like the wolverine, whose habitat is being rapidly degraded by climate change. The designation of critical habitat is a crucial step in ensuring the survival and recovery of these rare and vulnerable animals.