Wolves and COOL On Hold

Last week, President Barack Obama's administration ordered all federal agencies to freeze new or pending regulations of the Bush administration until the new camp could approve them. No proposed or final regulations were to be sent to the Federal Register for publication until they had been reviewed and approved by new agency heads appointed by the president.

Country-of-origin labeling (COOL) was slated to take effect March 16 but according to the memorandum issued by the new administration, federal agencies have been directed to consider extending for 60 days the effective date of regulations that have been published but have not yet taken effect.

In mid-January, the Department of Interior announced that they would be removing gray wolves in the western Great Lakes and in the northern Rocky Mountains from the federal endangered species list. The regulation had not yet been sent to the Federal Register, so it will now undergo a review by the new administration before further action is taken.