TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is making another attempt to remove gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered species list.

The agency says Friday that wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have recovered and no longer need federal protection.

About 4,000 wolves roam the three states.

Federal courts have overruled several previous attempts to drop Great Lakes wolves from the protected lists after environmental and animal rights groups filed lawsuits.

Congress approved legislation Thursday stripping federal protections from wolves in Montana, Idaho, Washington state, Oregon and Utah.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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