Dr. Benjamin Tuggle
Southwest Regional Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Corbin Newman
Southwest Regional Forester
U.S. Forest Service

Dear Dr. Tuggle and Regional Forester Newman:

We are writing to urge you to promulgate rules to ban trapping on federal land in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in New Mexico to protect Mexican gray wolves. Fewer than 60 Mexican wolves occur in the bi-state area and recovery has stalled. Cruel, indiscriminate traps are just one more hindrance to wolf restoration, while the harm caused to wolves by traps violates the Endangered Species Act.

Traps have injured or killed 14 Mexican gray wolves in 15 separate incidents since 2002. Two wolves died. Two had entire limbs amputated. One endured a partial foot amputation. Traps may have harmed even more wolves. Some of the dozens of illegally-dispatched lobos have simply vanished.

Wolves captured in body-gripping traps endure physiological and psychological trauma, dehydration, and exposure. Trapped wolves sustain tissue damage and other injuries that reduce their fitness and chance of survival. Further, adult wolves provision their pups for months after birth. Those harmed or killed by traps and snares cannot adequately feed and nurture their pups.

The Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service each have authority to ban traps to protect Mexican wolves. WildEarth Guardians has petitioned both agencies to establish a ban under the Administrative Procedure Act and associated regulations. Please act quickly to ban traps in Mexican wolf range.