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Report: Feds Mismanaged Wolf Recovery Program

AZ Central

The U.S. Department of the Interior has found flaws with the program to reintroduce endangered Mexican gray wolves to the Southwest. As Arizona Public Radio’s Justin Regan reports, a new study from the agency has found officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have mismanaged the recovery effort in a western New Mexico County.

The report found Fish and Wildlife employees regularly kept genetically valuable wolves in the wild, even when the animals were suspected of killing livestock. Recovery officials also failed in many instances to document complaints from ranchers and other county citizens about the wolves.

The Department of the Interior’s study found a lack of communication and trust between the wolf recovery team and ranchers. Fish and Wildlife employees didn’t inform residents that wolves were near their property, and didn’t offer proper compensation to ranchers for livestock killed by wolves.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say most of the issues have been addressed since 2013, when the recovery program’s field team coordinator was replaced and transferred to another position. 

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