As many of you know, I have represented non-profit enviornmental plaintiffs in several cases on behalf of the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf. One of these cases, which I filed on behalf of WildEarth Guardians in 2010, demanded a decision from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as to whether it would list separately from Canis lupus the Mexican gray wolf as a distinct endangered subspecies under the ESA. A separate listing would benefit the Mexican gray wolf by providing heighted protections for Mexican wolves in the wild.
Download the Complaint as filed.
As a result of this lawsuit, the Service agreed to publish a decicion on the Mexican wolf listing by October of this year. On October 9th, the Service formally declined to offer the Mexican gray wolf the full protections of the ESA.
Download 77 FR 61375-01 (10-29-12).
On October 25th, the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies highlighted the Service's ill-advised decision in its Environment 360 publication. I wanted to share the article, both to give an unbiased history of this program and to point out that the U.S. government continues to sell short this incredibly charasmatic and biologically important carnivore. Indeed, this is but the latest in a long line of federal and state decisions keeping the Mexican wolf from recovering in the wild. Like many others invested in the success of this reintroduction and recovery program, I am afraid that this ongoing and unfortunate trajectory will lead not to the subspecies' recovery - but to its eventual demise.
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