WildEarth Guardians

Friday, May 10, 2013
Attorneys General From 12 States Support Trapping in Mexican Wolf Habitat

States Join New Mexico Opposing Guardians' Federal Lawsuit
Contact: Wendy Keefover 303 819-5229

Santa Fe. WildEarth Guardians mounts a campaign today to get citizens to demand that 12 States’ Attorneys General withdraw from their support of the State of New Mexico in ongoing Mexican wolf-trapping litigation brought by WildEarth Guardians.  Guardians claims the Attorney Generals are wasting tax dollars, failing to uphold the public’s trust in wildlife protection and, moreover, that most states have no business meddling with Mexican wolves, which are limited in range to southern New Mexico and Arizona.

Twelve States’ Attorneys General filed an amicus brief last month before the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of New Mexico’s bid to continue trapping in the range of highly-endangered Mexican wolves – even as over a dozen wolves have been killed or injured in leg-hold traps ostensibly set for coyotes. WildEarth Guardians alleges the New Mexico Game Commission and state wildlife agency violated the Endangered Species Act when it allowed trapping to occur in wolf habitat.

The Attorneys General join a coalition that already includes the New Mexico Game Commission and Department, the New Mexico Trappers Association, livestock industry groups, and several state and national hunting organizations.

“The States Attorneys General have unfairly dogpiled on Mexican wolves,” said Wendy Keefover, Director, Carnivore Protection Program for WildEarth Guardians. “Given that they’re using the public’s money, they should be protecting the public commons, not destroying them for special interest groups, which are already well over-represented in this litigation,” she added.

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 Read the Amicus Brief from the Attorneys General

https://secure3.convio.net/wg/admin/AdminDocServer/AZ_Amicus-TrapCase.pdf/353519639?docID=8962&verID=1

View Trapped Wolf Map Locations

http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=priorities_wildlife_wolves_den_map_trapping_homepage#.UYwPuIKs0-8

See the Initial Complaint Filed in this Case

http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=7483#.UYwQboKs0-8

Read about the Appeal to the 10^th Circuit Court

http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8113&news_iv_ctrl=1194#.UYwQZ4Ks0-8

New Mexico Already Spent Thousands Defending Trapping

http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_21428757/state-has-spent-more-than-200k-defending-wolf

Parties in the litigation include:

WildEarth Guardians, Plaintiffs

Scott Bidegain, Chairman of the New Mexico State Game Commission, Defendant, & Arizona Game and Fish Commission

The Attorneys General who filed the amicus brief:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne,

Alaska Attorney General Michael C. Geraghty,

Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens,

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence G. Wasden,

Indiana Attorney General Gregory F. Zoeller,

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt,

Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell,

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood,

Montana Attorney General Timothy C. Fox,

Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt,

Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott, and

Utah Attorney General John E. Swallow

Defendant-Intervenor-Appellees:

New Mexico Trappers Association,

New Mexico Council of Outfitters & Guides, Inc.,

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau,

Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties for Stable Economic Growth, United Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Inc.,

New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, and

New Mexico Federal Lands Council.