TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is giving the public additional time to comment on a plan to drop gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list.

The agency has proposed removing federal protections for wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A public comment period ended July 5. But officials have decided to give scientists and others more time to provide information on the possibility that the region has two distinct species of wolves -- gray wolves and Eastern timber wolves.

The new comment period will run from Aug. 26 through Sept. 26. Spokeswoman Georgia Parham says the agency still plans to make a final decision on whether to remove the gray wolf from the endangered list by the end of the year.

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