Advocates for the reintroduction of
Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest will host a rally and “online
hearing” for comments to be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service today, starting at 5 p.m. at Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place
NE.
Organizers say the rally is in lieu of planned public hearings on
the issue that were canceled because of the shutdown of federal
government offices, a result of Congress’ standoff on the budget.
While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove
protections for the wolves nationwide, wolf advocates are pushing for a
number of reforms, including retaining the protections, expanding the
area in which Mexican wolves can roam and allowing the direct release of
wolves in New Mexico.
“The American public overwhelmingly supports wolf recovery, and
people from around the country will be in Albuquerque (today) to tell
the Obama administration to keep protections for wolves” said Michael
Robinson, a wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.
An hour before the 6 p.m. rally, organizers will set up laptop
computers from which people can submit comments on proposed changes to
Fish and Wildlife Service officials.
Guest speakers include Robinson; David R. Parsons, a former Fish
and Wildlife Service biologist who led its Mexican wolf recovery
program; and Maggie Howell, executive director of the Wolf Conservation
Center in New York, which helps raise captive Mexican wolves eligible
for release into the wild.
For more information, visit www.biologicaldiversity.org.
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