The big bad wolf?

Dear reader Bowing to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today agreed to cease implementation of its "three strikes, you're out" policy requiring that Mexican gray wolves be shot or trapped if they kill three cows on federal land within one year. This ill-conceived policy has cost many endangered Mexican gray wolves their lives, severely undermining the federal recovery program. While wolf populations have steadily grown in the northern Rockies and Great Lakes, where the "three strikes" rule does not apply, the southwestern wolf population has remained small and stagnant, leaving Mexican gray wolves one of the most endangered mammals in North America. The Fish and Wildlife Service also agreed to stop deferring its crucial wildlife authority to state and federal agencies such as Arizona Game and Fish and the USDA Wildlife Service (the agency in charge of killing and shooting wolves), which have consistently acted to prevent wolf recovery. Thanks to all of you who wrote letters, sent faxes, and made phone calls to push the Obama administration to settle this suit and put the Mexican gray wolf recovery program back on track. With this issue off the table, the feds can now concentrate on the Center's three petitions to create a new recovery plan, formally list the southwestern wolf as a distinct endangered species, and reform the recovery program from top to bottom. ¡Viva el lobo! Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity P.S. Check out this story from The Associated Press on the decision to pull the "three strikes" rule: Federal Agency Settles Wolf Lawsuit November 13, 2009 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and environmentalists have reached an agreement Friday that scraps a controversial rule the agency had used to kill or permanently remove any wolf that killed three heads of livestock in a year. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tom Buckley says the rule "will no longer stand." He says the agency has ways to deal with livestock kills "and remains committed to assisting the local livestock operators in any negative impacts they may have related to wolves." Environmentalists complained the three-strikes rule favored the ranching industry and was a major roadblock to the effort to recover the species in the wild. Ranchers responded the policy targets wolves that grow accustomed to preying on cattle. Several environmental groups sued in May 2008, asking the U.S. District Court in Arizona to stop the removal policy. Mexican gray wolf photo (c) Robin Silver. Donate now to support our work. The Center for Biological Diversity sends newsletters and action alerts through DemocracyinAction.org. Let us know if you'd like to change your email list preferences or stop receiving action alerts and newsletters from us. Change your address or review your profile here. Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 710 Tucson, AZ 85702 1-866-357-3349 www.BiologicalDiversity.org