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Conservationists Intervene on Behalf of Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction Efforts in New Mexico

Date
June 6, 2016
Contact
John Horning (505) 795-5083 jhorning@wildearthguardians.org
In This Release
Wildlife   Mexican gray wolf
#DefendCarnivores, #EndTheWarOnWildlife
Monday, June 6, 2016
Conservationists Intervene on Behalf of Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction Efforts in New Mexico

Releases of Adult Wolves and Puppies Being Blocked by State’s Game and Fish
Contact: John Horning (505) 795-5083 jhorning@wildearthguardians.org

Additional Contacts:

Defenders of Wildlife:Catalina Tresky (202) 772-0253, ctresky@defenders.org

Center for BiologicalDiversity: Michael Robinson (575) 313-7017, michaelr@biologicaldiversity.org

New Mexico WildernessAlliance: Judy Calman (505) 843-8696, judy@nmwild.org


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Defenders of Wildlife, the Center of Biological Diversity, WildEarthGuardians and the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance filed a motionto intervene on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service)in federal court today, arguing that the state of New Mexico had no authorityto block the release of Mexican gray wolf adults and pups into the wild.

On May 20, 2016, New Mexico sued the Service for releasingwolf pups, which are critical to Mexican gray wolf recovery. New Mexico’slawsuit aims to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recapture thereleased pups and return them to captivity and to ban future releases.

“All wolf releases from captivity are mission critical tothe recovery of the most endangered gray wolf in the world,” said Eva Sargent, senior Southwest representativefor Defenders of Wildlife. “New Mexico’s politically motivated lawsuit is ameritless, obstructionist attempt to usurp the Service’s authority inendangered species recovery, as provided for in the Endangered Species Act, ournation’s most important wildlife conservation law. We won’t stand for it. Weneed more wolves, less politics.”

“The two captive-born pups now growing up as part of theSheepherders Baseball Park Pack in the Gila National Forest embody the hope todiversify the Mexican wolf gene pool and save their kind from extinction,” saidMichael Robinson of the Center forBiological Diversity. “Removingthese pups would be cruel and would contribute to an ongoing decline in wolfnumbers and genetic diversity.”

“Obstructing the release of more lobos—one of the mostendangered mammals in the United States—is a crime against nature,” said John Horning, executive director forWildEarth Guardians. “We’re intervening in this baseless lawsuit to stopNew Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s relentless assault against wolves andensure that people will have the opportunity to experience wolves in our beautifulstate.”

“America’sfirst designated wilderness area deserves a balanced ecosystem with healthypopulations of animals at every level of the food chain,” said Judy Calman, staff attorney for New MexicoWilderness Alliance. “Mexican wolves are a keystone species in the Gila,and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ability to release them is critical totheir recovery and to the management of the wilderness area as a whole.Politics should not be allowed to override science here.”

Background

The Mexican gray wolf, or lobo, is the most endangered gray wolf in the world. With only 97wolves in the wild in the United States at the last official count and fewerthan 25 in Mexico, today the wolf population faces a drop in numbers and a genetic diversity crisis. The 2015 count droppedconsiderably from the all-time high of 110 wolves in 2014. Releases of captivewolves are critically needed to increase the genetic diversity in the wild lobopopulation. Limited genetic diversity in the wild is leading to smaller littersand lower pup survival – a recipe for extinction.

Scientists, wolf breedingfacilities and other conservationists urge the releases of many more wolves intothe wild inNew Mexico’s Gila National Forest to enhance genetic diversity. But in the face of opposition from thelivestock industry and the states of Arizona and New Mexico, the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service (the Service) had only released four captive-born wolvesduring the entire Obama administration until this spring; three died and onewas trapped and returned to captivity.

On February 17, 2015, under authority of the 1973 EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA)and a new management rule promulgated on January 16, 2015, theGila National Forest was opened up to releases of captive-born wolves. In anapparent effort to cooperate with the State of New Mexico, the Service appliedfor state permits to release captive Mexican gray wolves. In June 2015, the NewMexico Department of Game and Fish refused to grant the Service a permit torelease Mexican gray wolf pups and adults into the wild. The Service appealed the State’s decision to the New Mexico Fishand Game Commission, and the public overwhelmingly commented and testified insupport of the Service at a public hearing last August. However, the commissionrefused to reverse the department’s decision.

The ESA requires the Serviceto “cooperate to the maximum extent practicable with the states” as it pursuesspecies recovery programs. However, the law gives the Service the ability torelease endangered species without state permits if states do not allow theService to carry out its lawful responsibilities. So, in April, the Servicereleased two cross-fostered wolf pups into the wild in New Mexico and plans torelease more wolves in the wild in June.

On May 20, 2016, New Mexico sued the Service for releasingthe wolf pups, which are critical to Mexican gray wolf recovery. New Mexico’slawsuit aims to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recapture thereleased pups and return them to captivity and to ban future releases.

While the conservation organizations involved in this suitdo not think the Service is doing enough to support lobo recovery, they areengaging in support of the Service’s clear authority to release wolves and theclear conservation need to do so now and in the future.

You can read the memo in support of the motion here.

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Defenders of Wildlifeis dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in theirnatural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists,Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions tosafeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. Get the latestDefenders news on Twitter @defendersnews.

The Center for BiologicalDiversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangeredspecies and wild places.

WildEarth Guardians works toprotect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of theAmerican West.

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit,grassroots organization dedicated to the protection, restoration and continuedenjoyment of New Mexico’s wildlands and wilderness areas.

 

Other Contact
Defenders of Wildlife: Catalina Tresky (202) 772-0253, ctresky@defenders.org