American Stewards recently released a powerful new film called “Thrown to the Wolves,” documenting the severe consequences of reintroducing the gray wolf in Colorado and the broader failures of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to balance species protection with the rights and livelihoods of American landowners.
The film features landowners describing how the gray wolf was introduced in their county without notice or safeguards, leading to the destruction of their livestock and the economic losses in the millions annually to their operations.
In addition, the film exposes the Endangered Species Act (ESA) outdated framework, which has resulted in only 62 species being delisted out of over 1,600 listed in the past 50 years when the ESA was enacted. It also exposes how environmental groups have weaponized the ESA to restrict land use and impose costly litigation to landowners.
“The Endangered Species Act, in its current form, has become an outdated and ineffective tool for federal overreach that prioritizes radical agendas over the stewards of the land who have protected our natural resources for generations,” said Margaret Byfield, Executive Director of American Stewards. “Our film ‘Thrown to the Wolves’ reveals the human cost of this imbalance, from sleepless nights patrolling herds to uncompensated losses that threaten family legacies. It’s time for Congress to enact meaningful reforms to restore accountability and protect private property rights.”
ASL calls on policymakers, landowners, and the public to support urgent ESA reforms, including:
- Removing “distinct population segments” from species definitions to prevent politically motivated listings of abundant populations, such as the gray wolf.
- Limiting critical habitat designations to truly essential areas on federal lands, with congressional oversight for any exceeding 50,000 acres.
- Clarifying key terms in Section 7 consultations to focus on species survival rather than expansive recovery goals that infringe on private property.
- Delisting recovered species after 10 years and shifting management of apex predators like wolves to state authorities for effective, localized control.
These recommendations, outlined in ASL’s “Small Landowners Protection Package,” aim to realign the ESA with its original intent: genuine species conservation without devastating rural economies or ecosystems.
View “Thrown to the Wolves” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF2YpsUgZTA.
And, for more information on ESA reforms, go to our website at https://americanstewards.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ESA-Rec-Amendments.pdf
