Be glad you aren't a Mexican gray wolf.
The
federal agency charged with restoring this endangered predator to the
wild wants to retain a death penalty for wolves that kill livestock and
impose a new capital offense for eating too many deer, elk and other
wild ungulates.
What are the wolves supposed to do? Call out for pizza?
(Click on the links below to see what has been editorialized, so far)
BAHR: Rule makes it too easy to kill wolves
OUR VIEW: State has wolves in its crosshairs
The proposed rule from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service isn't all bad.
It
would vastly expand the wolves' range from a relatively small area
straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border to span both states from
Interstate 40 south to the Mexican border. Much of this is not suitable
wolf habitat, but the expansion sets the stage for establishing new wolf
populations.
The proposed rule also would allow reintroduction of
captive-bred wolves into new areas, adding badly needed genetic
diversity to the wild population. This month, six wolves were released
into the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. But there are still more Mexican
wolves in captivity than in the wild.
A bigger wolf footprint
could result in more conflicts with human activities, so it may make
sense to expand the circumstances under which wolves can be removed.
But, gee whiz.
Some
ranchers have opposed the wolf reintroduction effort since it began in
1998. The killing and recapture of wolves on their behalf helped keep
the wolf population lower than anticipated.
A reimbursement
program pays ranchers for any cows the wolves eat. But there is no
requirement that ranchers remove livestock carcasses or treat them with
lime so wolves won't scavenge and acquire a taste for beef.
The
proposed rule does nothing to change that. Instead, it will make it
easier to target wolves for attacking livestock and domestic animals.
What's
worse, the new rule also includes a provision to kill, capture or
relocate wolves that have "an unacceptable impact" on deer, elk or other
game populations. The same Arizona and New Mexico wildlife agencies
that issue hunting licenses get to say if wolves are eating too much
game.
The conflict-of-interest meter is sparking and flashing.
Hunters are a core constituency of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
A wolf's dinner is their sport trophy.
The Mexican wolf
reintroduction effort serves a long-standing goal of preserving and
restoring endangered species, and reflects a shared national value for
species diversity.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking
public comment on the proposed rule change until Sept. 23. More
information is available at fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf.
Two
public hearings are scheduled. One is 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 11 at the
Hon-Dah Conference Center in Pinetop. The other is in Truth or
Consequences, N.M. Few Arizonans will be able to travel to these remote
locations. More hearings should be scheduled in urban centers.
Mexican
wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. They
deserve protection that respects the value they bring to the ecosystem.
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