Utah wants wolves kept out

Published: Nov. 10, 2011

Utah officials say they're worried by reports the federal government is about to classify Mexican gray wolves for protection in the southern part of the state. Pictured, arctic wolf brothers. File. UPI/Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo 

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SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Utah officials say they're worried by reports the federal government is about to classify Mexican gray wolves for protection in the southern part of the state.
Gov. Gary Herbert wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in September, protesting the federal wildlife agency's apparent plan to expand protections from Arizona and New Mexico into southern Utah and Colorado, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.
Utah officials and lawmakers say they want wolves kept out, or kept to a minimum, in an effort to protect livestock and big game in Utah.
Fish and Wildlife officials are telling the state they will reclassify the Mexican wolf and grant it full protections wherever it roams, and include Utah in its recovery zone.
Herbert disputes that the wolf's range, mostly in northern Mexico, ever extended to Utah.
"The only explanation they give," Herbert wrote, "is that Utah and Colorado have unoccupied wolf habitat, and therefore must contribute to the recovery of the Mexican wolf."
Wendy Brown, Fish and Wildlife's Southwest Region recovery coordinator, said even if plans end up including Utah as potential Mexican wolf habitat, there wouldn't be any reintroduction without a separate public process.

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