Governor Richardson Stands Up for Wildlife Conservation
Statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife
(07/12/2007) - “Defenders of Wildlife applauds Governor Bill Richardson for calling for an end to the unnecessary killing of imperiled wolves in the Southwest, just one day after the alpha female of the Durango pack was shot and killed in New Mexico, leaving behind her mate and a litter of newborn pups. This is the fifth wolf to be killed or permanently removed by a government agency this year, and an additional seven pups have been moved to captivity for an undetermined length of time.“Presently, one Mexican gray wolf is killed or removed from the wild for every confirmed livestock depredation in the Southwest, a pathway that could lead to the extermination of all of the reintroduced wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has released almost 100 captive wolves since the inception of the recovery program, but with this latest removal there are now only 58 wolves in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona. Right now, biologists believe there are only three pairs of Mexican gray wolves that are successfully breeding in the recovery area, far fewer than needed to sustain the population.
“Defenders of Wildlife has always supported the removal of wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock. However, killing them should be a last resort, used only after all non-lethal control methods have been exhausted. In this instance, FWS killed a female wolf despite the objections of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service should be promoting non-lethal control measures to minimize conflicts with wolves. Defenders of Wildlife helps ranchers finance measures such as fladry fencing, range riders and livestock-guarding dogs to prevent wolf conflicts from occurring in the first place.
“The Southwest wolf program differs from other wolf reintroduction programs because wolves are not allowed to roam outside set boundaries. This prohibits the natural dispersal and migration necessary for region-wide recovery, and results in the unnecessary killing and removal of wolves. According to a 2005 poll, four out of five residents support letting critically endangered wolves roam over a wider area of the Southwest. Eighty-six percent of those polled said wolves bring a natural balance to the Southwest landscape.
“Wolves in the Southwest will never recover if the Fish and Wildlife Service continues to view killing them as a first rather than last resort. We thank Governor Richardson for stepping in to protect them, but there is still work ahead if we are to achieve recovery. Mexican gray wolves need a sound recovery plan. Without specific goals, timelines and criteria for delisting, there are no standards on which to base wolf management. A new recovery plan needs to be completed in time to inform the pending changes to the final rule governing the reintroduction program.”
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 900,000 members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
Contact(s):
Eva Sargent, (520) 623-9653Lisa Hummon, (505) 248-0118
