Representative Pearce Fails Attempt to End Southwest Wolf Recovery

Congress votes to keep Endangered Species Act program

(06/26/2007) - Washington, D.C. -- In an attempt to undermine efforts to recover wolves in the Southwest, Rep Steven Pearce (R-N.M.) today proposed terminating all funding for the federal Mexican wolf recovery program. Pearce’s amendment to the FY 2008 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill was soundly defeated, 258-172.

“Pearce tried to circumvent the Endangered Species Act, the law that governs the recovery process for rare species like wolves,” said Eva Sargent, Ph.D., Southwest director with Defenders of Wildlife. “Pearce’s sensationalized stories exploit the losses of his own constituents in a transparent attempt to distract his colleagues from the importance of maintaining recovery programs for our nation’s imperiled wildlife. He even told his Congressional colleagues that wolves are attracted to crying or laughing babies.”

Pearce has consistently opposed the Mexican wolf recovery program in the Southwest. Earlier this year, he circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter riddled with misinformation regarding recent animal depredations in New Mexico.

“Pearce’s letter suggests images of wolves prowling around the schoolyards of local communities and stalking our children, and that just isn’t true. There has never been one case of a wild Mexican wolf harming a person in any way,” said Lisa Hummon, New Mexico representative with Defenders of Wildlife. “In fact, there is not one documented case of a healthy, wild wolf ever killing a human in the United States. Pearce’s claims are little more than scare tactics to turn people against this unique and imperiled creature.”

The Mexican wolf is one of the rarest and most critically endangered subspecies of wolf in the world. The last known Mexican wolf in the United States was shot in 1970; six years later it was listed as endangered and protected under the Endangered Species Act. Between 1977 and 1980, the last five known Mexican wolves in the world were captured and used to initiate a captive breeding program, which helped to increase the population so the animals could be reintroduced into the wild. The first captive-reared Mexican wolves were released in January 1998 in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. Almost 100 captive Mexican wolves have been reintroduced in the Southwest, but today biologists count only 59 wolves in the wild.

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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.

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Contact(s):

Rebecca Greenberg, (202) 772-3217