WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, August 9, 2007
It's time to confront policies that harm Mexican gray wolf numbers

Fewer than 50 lobos now exist in the wild
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

After nearly a decade of reintroduction and recovery efforts for the Mexican gray wolf in the American Southwest, fewer than 50 lobos now exist in the wild.

The Endangered Species Act may have rescued the last remaining Mexican wolves from extinction; but, those implementing its provisions have since done little to ensure this species ultimate survival.

Stymied by political interference, the wolf recovery program has been a marked failure. If federal managers continue to swap science for politics when it comes to wolf management, both the lobos and the will of the American people may be lost forever.

Passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support, the Endangered Species Act consecrates our nation's abiding respect for wildlife. The Mexican gray wolf is the most endangered mammal in North America, yet these animals are routinely shot or otherwise removed from their own recovery area on behalf of livestock operators using public lands.

In an ongoing attempt to privatize public lands, this powerful special interest group has hijacked endangered species policy on our National Forests, and threatened to push the lobos into their second extinction in the wild.

Public lands ranchers in the Gila National Forest expect their grazing allotments to be wildlife free. Nowhere is this truer than in Catron County where grazing permittees have demanded predator control instead of species recovery.

Unsatisfied that federal managers have removed an astounding 20 wolves in the last 22 months, Catron County passed its own anti-wolf ordinance last February, in which it is authorized itself to control wolves not eligible for removal under federal policies.

Forget that the Constitution says federal statutes trump conflicting local laws. Forget that the act provides a regulatory scheme for the listing, protection, conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species. Forget that the feds have already addressed the concerns of the livestock industry by lowering protections for lobos. And, forget that rules and procedures are already in place that detail how, when, why, and by whom Mexican wolves will be "managed."

Catron County, which doesn't want wolves in the Gila National Forest, is apparently above the law.

Claiming to be "psychologically traumatized" by the mere presence of lobos, the Catron County Commission has authorized itself to demand wolf removals, and has even authorized its own officials to stalk, trap or otherwise harm Mexican wolves in ways and for reasons strictly prohibited by the federal act.

Environmental groups, including WildEarth Guardians and Sinapu have filed a lawsuit in federal district court to challenge Catron County's unlawful ordinance. We have asked the court to strike down this ordinance as unconstitutional and to issue an injunction barring county officials from attempting to harm our lobos in the future.

While our lawsuit has the ability to rein in this rogue county and loosen its grip on wolf management, it will not fix the Mexican wolf program.

In order to recover wolves, we must increase population numbers while lowering conflicts with cattle. This means federal mangers must stop killing wolves and prosecute anyone who does so illegally. This also means that public lands grazing permittees must learn to either live with native wildlife or move their cattle elsewhere.

Those in Catron County seem largely unwilling to tolerate wolves or even accept monetary compensation for livestock losses. But a win-win solution does exist. With 400,000 acres of Gila ranches now for sale, it seems many grazing permittees are looking to relocate.

Importantly, many conservation buyers want to purchase these ranches and use their allotments for wildlife habitat instead of domestic forage. Federal legislation allowing for voluntary permit buyout can make this a reality.

Financially compensating ranchers who want to give up their grazing permits will ensure an end to wolf-cattle conflicts and truly allow for the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf.

If the lobo, the very symbol of New Mexico's wild heritage, is to be spared from its second extinction in the wild, we must confront human intolerance and advocate for long-term solutions.

By enforcing the rule of law and advocating for innovative policies, we hope to not only carry out America's vision for endangered species recovery, but to find real relief for our native wolves on the ground.

Copyright 2007 Albuquerque Journal - Reprinted with permission