ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Aug. 24, 2017) – During its meeting today, the New Mexico State Game Commission voted to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most recent draft Mexican gray wolf recovery plan.
Bryan Bird, Southwest program director for Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:
“The current draft Mexican gray wolf recovery plan will not sufficiently improve lobo numbers nor increase their genetic diversity in the wild, two major factors that will help recover this species. It also constrains wolves to an arbitrary boundary, restricting them from roaming safely into suitable, unoccupied habitat. So, we hope that the New Mexico State Game Commission’s vote today is a sign that they are willing to participate in the process to strengthen the plan for the benefit of local communities, landscapes and wildlife.
“No matter what, Defenders of Wildlife remains committed to lobo recovery in the Southwest, and we will continue to innovate proactive coexistence strategies and tools on the ground for local communities to share the landscape peacefully with wolves. Lobo recovery could transform our landscapes just like wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone brought landscapes and rivers back to life.”
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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