The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) on June 7 announced its proposal to remove the gray wolf (Canis lupus) from the list of threatened and endangered species. According to the Service's June 7 news release, the proposal comes after a comprehensive review confirmed the gray wolf's successful recovery following management actions undertaken by federal, state and local partners after the wolf’s listing under the Endangered Species Act over three decades ago. The Service is also proposing to maintain protection and expand recovery efforts for the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in the southwestern United States, where it remains endangered.
Under the proposal, state wildlife management agency professionals would resume responsibility for management and protection of gray wolves in states where wolves (other than the Mexican wolf) occur. According to the news release, the proposed rule is based on the best science available and incorporates new information about the gray wolf's current and historical distribution in the contiguous United States and Mexico. It focuses the protection on the Mexican wolf, the only remaining entity that warrants protection under the Act, by designating the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies.
In addition to listing the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies, the Service proposes to modify existing regulations governing the nonessential experimental (10j) population to allow captive raised wolves to be released throughout the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in the Apache and Gila National Forests in east central Arizona and west central New Mexico, and to disperse into the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area in the areas of Arizona and New Mexico located between I-40 and I-10.
The Service will open a 90-day comment period on both proposals seeking additional scientific, commercial and technical information from the public and other interested parties. The comment period commenced upon publication of the proposed rules in the Federal Register on June 13; the deadline to submit comments is Sept. 11, 2013. Relevant information received during this comment period will be reviewed and addressed in the Service's final determination on these proposals, which will be made in 2014. Information on how to provide comments is available in the Federal Register notices and on the Service’s wolf information page at www.fws.gov/
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The Arizona Game and Fish Department is currently studying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposals.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service news release is posted on its website at www.fws.gov.
Pair of Mexican wolves will not be released into the Apache National Forest at this time
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has determined that a pair of wolves will not be released into the wild at this time. The pair, M1051 and F1126, was brought to an acclimation pen at the Corduroy Creek release site in Arizona on April 26, 2013. After spending over six weeks in the acclimation pen, the Service will transfer the pair back to a Service-approved pre-release facility and will seek opportunities for another release in the future.
Release sites are selected in unoccupied wolf habitat where prey is available and the potential for conflict with humans, livestock and other packs is reduced. The 15-year history of the Mexican wolf reintroduction project has shown that naïve wolves are most successful when released as pairs with pups. The female of this pair was pregnant at the time of transfer to the acclimation pen, however, the pups born to F1126 did not survive.
While the acclimation area had been used in the past by the Rim pack of Mexican wolves, at the time this pair of wolves was transferred to the pen, it was believed that the Rim pack had vacated the area based on the lack of recent production by the pack, and the removal of the alpha female in January in order to harvest valuable genetic material. However, the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team (IFT) has confirmed that the Rim pack alpha male, AM1107, is traveling with a new female identified by the IFT as F1305. The Rim pair has been frequenting the acclimation pen and acting aggressively toward M1051 and F1126, suggesting they will defend their territory against them if the naïve pair were to be released.
"After a difficult deliberation during which I weighed the options and evaluated the likelihood that the new pair would succeed in the wild, I have decided not to conduct the release at this time," said Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, the Service's Southwest Regional Director. "Initial releases of naïve wolves are always a difficult task. The significant reduction in the pair's chances for success emphasizes the need to expand the area within which releases of wolves can occur. The Service remains committed to improving this population through initial releases to increase genetic diversity of the population. We will continue to work with partners to identify suitable release opportunities in the future to meet our management and recovery objectives."
"After consideration of the challenges this pair would face if they were released, the Service made a decision that will give the pair a better chance at survival and afford these wolves an opportunity to contribute to the program in the future," said Director Larry Voyles of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
For further information, please refer to the Decision Memo on the Mexican wolf website, under Mexican Wolf News, at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/
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The Mexican wolf recovery program is a collaborative effort between the Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Forest Service and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Wildlife Services, several participating counties in Arizona and the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization.
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