Ban Livestock Grazing in Mexican Wolf Recovery Area

Conflict between ranchers and wolves will continue as long as the U.S. Forest Service continues to approve livestock grazing in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area on more than 500,000 acres in the Gila National Forest. This will encourge the wolf to prey upon livestock and in turn be shot, trapped or poisioned.

The close proximity could also help explain why Mexican wolves are killed illegally more often than wolves in other regions. According to FWS, illegal taking is the single greatest source of wolf mortality in the Southwestern population.

With only 42 wolves left, and recent re-introducion to the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needs to stop allowing livestock grazing if it is going to be a successful re-introduction and recovery of the Mexican Grey Wolf.

The public lands habitat of this wolf needs upgraded safeguards, rather than continued rubber-stamping of livestock grazing on federal land.

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/18/18greenwire-as-southwest-wolf-recovery-effort-struggles-no-77990.html?pagewanted=4
David Hayes
Assistant Secretary Fish and Wildlife and Parks
Washington, D.C. Office
555 Eleventh Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington DC 20004-1304
202.637.2204 Phone
202.637.2201 Fax
david.hayes@lw.com

Department of the Interior
Sally Jewell
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100
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