Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce issued this statement announcing the introduction of H.R. 2910, legislation that will protect New Mexicans and Arizonans, their children, farms, and ranches, from Mexican wolf attacks and severe economic losses stemming from harmful federal regulations. Pearce co-introduced the bill with U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)
“The so-called ‘recovery program’ of the Mexican wolf is a leading example of why Washington should leave species recovery to the states,” stated Pearce. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s program ignores public safety concerns, threatens the livelihoods of New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers and fails to set a recovery goal (number of wolves) that will lead to a solution.”
“Wolves are natural predators and are devastating livestock populations and putting children and family pets in danger. Yet the Fish and Wildlife Service has recently decided to expand the population area for the wolves without first securing the necessary funding to ensure predator incidents can be prevented. Needless to say, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s current program is not effective for wolf recovery and does not provide the kind of accountability the people of New Mexico deserve. Congress must intervene by de-listing the Mexican wolf, eliminating this inadequate ‘recovery’ program and transferring species protection back to the state of New Mexico,” Pearce concluded.
Congressman Gosar added: “The new USFWS regulations that were implemented without an appropriation or authorization from Congress, in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, defy common sense as nearly 90% of the wolf’s original habitat falls within the border of Mexico. Our bipartisan bill will protect local communities, de-list the Mexican wolf and terminate this flawed experimental program.”
In January, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service increased its wolf population goal to 350 from 100 while expanding its critical habitat area four-fold throughout the Southwest. The Mexican Wolf Transparency and Accountability Act requires the Service to comply with federal law, rejects the new overreaching regulations that established the dangerous experimental subspecies program, and seeks to protect local communities from a poorly- implemented and unlawful wolf recovery plan.
The New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau is one of many regional organizations that endorse H.R. 2910. Chad Smith, CEO of the 18,000-member organization, praised the bill: “It is our belief that the Mexican Wolf Transparency and Accountability Act is a logical solution to the ineffective management and misdirection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”