Wildlife advocates submit letter to FWS re. Mexican Wolf Blue Range Reintroduction Project Replacement Release Outline

At a public meeting regarding the Mexican Wolf Blue Range Reintroduction Project
Replacement Release Outline for Arizona 2013 held in Alpine, Arizona, Mr. Chris Bagnoli of the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) announced that public comments on the release proposal would be accepted through October 27, 2012. In response, the White Mountain Conservation League, has submitted a letter signed by 19 organizations, including the Grand Canyon and Rio Grande chapters of the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Wildlife Conservancy and many others.

Highlights:
"After a much too long lapse of four years with no new releases of Mexican gray wolves into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA), we are pleased that a release of one or two new wolves is being proposed."
"immediate implementation of a comprehensive science-based program to enhance the genetic integrity of the wild population"
"There are plenty of places to release wolves in the BRWRA, but many appear to be excluded simply because of active livestock grazing operations in the project area. This constraint is improper, unscientific, and must be removed from the consideration when evaluating wolf release sites."

The letter can be viewed as an attachment below.