The New Mexico State Game Commission voted today to rejoin the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program including becoming a signatory to the Cooperating Agencies MOU and engaging in on the ground management activities. The state game commission voted in 2011 to leave the program during a change in leadership at the state level.
Bryan Bird, Southwest program director for Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“We commend the Game Commission for its vote to recommit to saving the Mexican gray wolf. This severely endangered species needs the support of the states if it is to have a fighting chance at survival. The state game commission should take the additional step of withdrawing its defense of the flawed 2017 recovery plan in on-going litigation.
“It’s clear more can and should be done to save this species, including the release of well-bonded adult pairs and limiting losses from trapping and illegal killing. The state can encourage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to immediately undertake these simple measures. The lobo is a unique part of the Southwestern landscape and deserves to be protected.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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