SANTA FE (June 29, 2017) – As part of its 2016 settlement with conservationists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released today the long-overdue draft recovery plan for endangered Mexican gray wolves, or lobos. The final recovery plan is expected to be released in November 2017.
Bryan Bird, Southwest program director for Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:
“Politics trumps science in this draft Mexican gray wolf recovery plan. It's a backroom deal with the states that resist wolf recovery and fail to understand the transformational benefits to the entire landscape when Mexican gray wolves thrive.
“Contrary to recommendations from leading wolf biologists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft plan restricts the Mexican gray wolves from moving into millions of acres of suitable habitat in northern Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. President Trump’s plans to build an impenetrable border wall with Mexico will only worsen chances for the wolves’ recovery. The lobos would be boxed in, incapable of beating the clock on extinction.
“Future generations should have the chance to hear wolves howl on the landscape. Scientists – not politicians who had undue influence on the recovery plan for Mexican gray wolves – should be making decisions about how best to protect endangered species and their habitat.”
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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