For nearly two decades, the gray wolf has been on the endangered species list while ranchers have had to sit by and watch the wolves harass and kill their cattle and other farm animals. That may soon all change because potentially the animals are going to be removed from the list. Environmental groups are worried that the move will just send the species onto the fast track of extinction.

The species has had its fair share of population ups and downs over the last 100 years. During the mid 1900’s, the federal government resorted to poisoning the animals because of the booming population. As the numbers dwindled, the government then funded a 24 million dollar effort to increase the population. Now the wolf is thriving in the western U.S. states and causing problems for ranchers. In 2000, the wolves killed 123 domestic animals including among others cattle and sheep. Last year the number jumped to 330. Ranchers say that if the population keeps rising, it will hurt their livelihood.

"The more of something you have, the less valuable each individual piece becomes," said Ed Bangs, the Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery project leader. "If you have more wolves than you have now, it's really going to start causing a lot of problems."

Environmentalists on the other side are worried this is just a move to eradicate the species.

"This is all about wolf killing," said Doug Honnold, an attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice. "This approach of managing wolves to the knife-edge where they say the population would be at risk of extinction is simply crazy."

Environmental groups say that areas need about 2,000-3,000 gray wolves to keep the population from disappearing again.

Under the proposed plan, hunters and trappers would have to get a permit and as long as 450 animals remain, the hunting and trapping can continue. Once the population goes down to 300, it would go back on the endangered species list.