It became official on Friday — gray wolves are no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act and returned to management of the Great Lakes states.

COLUMBIA, Mo.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed listing the Ozark hellbender as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.  The Ozark hellbender is a rare salamander only found in rivers and streams in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. This salamander is strictly aquatic and can grow to nearly two feet long.

The Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2001 that the Ozark hellbender warrants listing as a threatened or endangered species, but that such listing was precluded. Instead of moving it toward protection, the agency added the salamander to the list of candidate species. In May 2004, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the agency to list more than 200 candidate species, including the Ozark hellbender. The Center followed the petition with a lawsuit arguing that continued delay of protection for all of the candidate species was illegal. That lawsuit is still pending in federal court, with a decision expected any day.