The coalition of environmental groups who originally sued Wyoming in 2012 over the state’s management plan has the opportunity to ask the court for a review of its decision.

The group is disappointed with the D.C. court’s ruling, said Tim Preso, an attorney for Earthjustice, a nonprofit law firm representing Defenders of Wildlife and several other environmental groups.

“Put simply, a voluntary measure is not regulatory because it does not require anyone to do anything and can be withdrawn or changed at any time,” Preso wrote in an email. “We are continuing to evaluate the decision and our options.”

Under Wyoming management, wolves are considered a predator and can be killed year-round in about 85 percent of the state – which amounts to about 19 percent of the state’s suitable wolf habitat, according to the appeals court. In the northwest corner of the state, where the bulk of Wyoming’s wolves live, the plan specifies hunting seasons.