Arizona Game and Fish demands feds act on wolf worries
By Tom Jackson King, Managing Editor
Arizona is still a partner in the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction
program — but the Arizona Game and Fish Commission let loose a blast of
demands at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that reflect growing rural
and state frustrations.
The wolf program is a $9 million, five-year attempt to reintroduce up to
100 endangered Mexican gray wolves into their former habitat in the
federal forests of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.
It is a program that has drawn intense fire from some ranching and rural
parties, but positive words from environmental and animal rights groups.
At its Sept. 14 meeting in Springerville and Eagar, in Apache County, the
AGF Commission conducted its own review of the wolf program and ended up
demanding a “restructuring” of the wolf program within 180 days, by Sept.
30, 2002, or else it might take “further action” on AGF’s participation
with USWS and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in the controversial
program. AGF demanded:
The roles of the primary cooperators must be restructured to ensure
state participation, authorities and responsibilities as reflected in
today’s discussion.
The administrative and adaptive management processes must be
restructured to ensure opportunities for, and participation by, the full
spectrum of stakeholders.
The Interagency Field Team response protocols must be restructured and
staff capacity must be enhanced to ensure immediate response capability
to, and resolution of, urgent operational issues such as depredation
incidents.
Project outreach must be restructured as necessary to address the
commission, department and public concerns expressed today.
The project’s review protocols and procedures must be restructured and
improved to ensure that the five-year review is effective and efficient,
and an improvement over the three-year review.
AGF Commissioner Joe Carter of Safford said the commission’s action on
Saturday was intended to give H. Dale Hall, the new Southwest Director of
USFWS, one last opportunity to fix the program to Arizona’s liking.
“I really respect what Director Hall is trying to do, but I believe he’s
having to drag his staff along. I want to give Director Hall an
opportunity to see if he can turn this thing around,” he said.
Carter said the GAF commissioners got an earful at their Saturday
meeting from rural residents, ranchers and others with concerns about the
wolf program.
On allegations that USFWS is failing to recapture wolf hybrids spotted in
the field, Carter said, “That goes right to the heart of it. While they
(USFWS) may have rules in place, they aren’t as responsive on the ground
as they should be.”
On complaints that too large an area is closed to grazing when a wolf mom
is denning with her pups, Carter said, “I think that’s another example
where on the ground activity is not consistent with the rules. They
(ranchers) experience economic losses when they have to remove cattle.”
On the sudden killing of seven wolf pups by USFWS staff on Monday, Sept.
16, just after the GAF met, Carter said he learned of the killings only
when “I read it in your newspaper. I think that’s another example of
communications and on the ground problems. We never hear anything. One
thing is sorely lacking and that is meaningful input by the stakeholders
— that must change,” he said.
Carter said the GAF department was given the same news release the
Copper Era got, on Monday afternoon, but there was no advance word given
to the commission when it met Sept. 14. “For whatever reason, they (USFWS)
don’t have the resources on the ground to carry them (rules) out. The
action the commission took with respect to the motion was in response to
individual commissioner concerns, executive staff concerns and most
importantly, concerns from the public,” he said.
Carter said the agency might take action on the state’s participation in
the wolf program sooner than the 180-day deadline it gave USFWS for some
demands.
Sierra Club spokesperson Sandy Bahr and New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
spokes-man Stephen Capra were called but could not be reached before press
time.