Wolf Memo Bothers Activists
By Jeff Jones
Journal Staff Writer
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The wording of a memo involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could portend bad news for Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts in New Mexico and Arizona, an environmental group warns.
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But Fish and Wildlife, which is responsible for getting the wolves off the endangered species list, said Thursday that the Center for Biological Diversity’s claims smack of saying “the sky is falling” without any basis for it.
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A field team made up of biologists from the service and several other state, tribal and federal agencies is doing the work on releasing, trapping and monitoring the endangered wolves, which were first released in 1998.
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The service would ultimately cede control of the program to the states if and when wolf numbersý currently estimated at 35 to 40ý grow to the point where the animals are delisted. Sierra County, Catron County, three Arizona counties and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture were recently added to the field team membership, though the day-to-day tasks still are being handled by the biologists.
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A memorandum of understanding among all the players is being circulated for signatures. Michael Robinson, a Pinos Altos resident and state spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity, said two provisions in that memo bother him.
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The memo pledges that the service will keep a representative on that field team. But Robinson said it doesn’t specify the service will continue to keep a “wolf recovery leader” on its staffý a supervisor who plays a key role in deciding when and if problem wolves should be retrapped or, in extreme cases, killed.
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Robinson said that without such a leader, those decisions could be left in the hands of the team. At least one of the membersý Catron Countyý is vehemently against wolf recovery.
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“The omission is deafening. Let’s get these lines of authority clear,” Robinson said.
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He said another, what he calls cryptic, provision in the memo says the service will provide necessary permits and authorizations “on a timely basis”ý a provision that Robinson said refers to the OKs needed to trap or kill wolves.
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“The stress is on ‘timely, ‘ which means there are going to be quick decisions based on where the political winds are (blowing),” Robinson said. He added the wording “does appear to be a rubber stamp” for such actions.
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Service spokeswoman Elizabeth Slown said Thursday both claims are untrue. She said the service will continue to have a wolf recovery leader. That spot has been unfilled since July, she said, but a hire is expected in the next few months. In the meantime, key decisions are being made by Joy Nicholopoulos, a top service official in New Mexico.
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Slown added the passage concerning permits deals more with the paperwork needed to do wolf research and monitoring that it does with permits needed to trap or kill wolves.
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She pointed out that it’s rare when a government agency is accused of making decisions too speedily.