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Sierra
County tries to make it harder
for
FWS to reintroduce Mexican wolf
By
Fred Mramor of
the Desert Journal
Sierra County
Commissioners Thursday approved County Manager Adam Polley’s “white
paper” declaring the county’s position on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction Program.
The position paper is the result of
county officials’ consultations with affected agricultural parties in
the Gila National Forest and on private property, Polley said.
The County Position Paper, which will
be formally adopted as a resolution, reads:
I: County Position on Wolf Recovery
The wolf recovery program implemented
within the wolf recovery areas of the Gila National Forest and Apache
Sitgreaves National Forest on locations within the counties shall cause
economic constraints to the businesses located within counties.
The need to preserve land use and
sporting industries in the counties and further develop them is priority
for county government. Wolf recovery has been shown to be a financial
burden on the counties, communities, small business and individuals and is
contributing to the erosion of our tax base.
The counties are against further
releases and or translocation of wolves. The counties understand that the
FWS is required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to preserve the
Mexican wolf.
The counties understand that the FWS is
under a court order to attempt to restore the Mexican wolf to its original
range.
The position of the counties is that
the wolf reintroduction shall not abrogate individual property rights of
citizens as specified in the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and
the Arizona and New Mexico Constitutions.
First and foremost, FWS is mandated to
uphold the Constitution of the United States. This mandate shall be
applied to all requirements sanctioned by other acts and laws.
If further wolf releases are required
in order to comply with the court order, the counties demand to be
involved in all planning, release, and management aspects for the purpose
of mitigating the detrimental effects of this program on our citizens and
communities and to ensure that this program will not compromise individual
rights.
Individuals and small business shall
not incur undue losses.
II: Comprehensive Compensation Plan for
Wolf Releases
A. A fund will be set up by the federal
government for full compensation costs to offset damages of the
reintroduction and or translocation of wolves in the wolf recovery area.
Non-governmental organizations may contribute but not manage the
compensation program.
B. The compensation Plan shall cover
the full opportunity costs and shall include:
1. Compensation for property loss; and
2. Compensation for increased cost and
conducting business; and
3. Compensation for increased costs for
livestock depredation from other predators due to the inability of
livestock operators to control predators because of the proximity of
endangered Mexican wolves; and
4. As indicated by baseline incomes,
compensation to outfitters for the loss of income, loss of recreation, and
hunting privileges and limits on game availability, pack trips and other
losses due to the increased predation on game and wolf proximity to
recreation areas; and
5. Compensation to sportsmen, campers
and hikers for the loss of hunting, camping, and hiking privileges and
limits of game due to the increased take of game animals, wildlife
displacement in hunting areas attributed to wolves; and
6. Compensation to the states annually
for the loss of hunting revenues due to the increased take of game animals
and wildlife displacement in hunting areas attributed to wolves; and
7. Compensation to counties annually
for the loss of revenuese and circulating tax dollars to increased
livestock depredation by wolves; and
8. The FWS shall be liable for
compensation for all injury and loss of human life attributed to wolves
based on wolf attack criteria by the counties.
C. A Non-Federal, County Approved Board
shall be established to deal with compensation request due to livestock
and wildlife loss.
D. Modify Take Provisions to Comply
with Constitutional Private Property Protection Principals
1. The FWS shall recognize ranchers’
right to take any Mexican wolf found to be depredating (in the act of
attacking or feeding on) livestock, on all areas of land incorporated in
the ranch operation. This shall include private land and federal
allotments.
2. The FWS shall recognize ranchers and
other private citizens’ right to take any Mexican wolf in the act of
attacking stock dogs, hunting dogs or pets.
3. If a Mexican wolf becomes habituated
to private property and frequents private property and homes, the
landowner shall notify the FWS and document the problem.
If FWS cannot remove the problem animal
and place it in captivity within five days from notification, the FWS
shall recognize the landowner’s right to take the problem animal without
further contact with FWS.
4. FWS must relocate wolves that
attempt to den on livestock operations within five miles of calving areas.
5. Wolf packs contributing to
significant loss of game animals (frenzy killing behavior) shall be
removed or destroyed by FWS or other ADC personnel to protect and conserve
the game resource.
6. The FWS shall verify that wolf
hybrids have not already bred with pure Mexican wolves.
7. The FWS will investigate and remove
all wolf hybrids or wolves that aren’t pure Mexican wolves prior to
release or translocation of wolves into New Mexico.
8. Ranchers, guides and outfitters
shall have access to wolf monitoring equipment when necessary to protect
their business interest and private property.
III. Criteria for Wolf Release Sites.
1. Establish successful pack in the
wilderness prior to translocation or release of wolves on non-wilderness
sites; and
2. Establish upper limits for wolf
numbers in a site-specific area as determined by prey availability for a
three month period after release; and
3. Habitat for game shall be developed
in potential wolf release areas that will encourage game to inhabit wolf
release areas, i.e. provide salt and water; and
4. Releases shall be timed with game
movement and reproduction; and
5. No wolf release sites out of the
wilderness without site specific environmental assessment with counties as
joint lead agency; and
6. No wolves shall be allowed to
inhabit private property unless the landowner agrees; and
7. Wolf release sites may be located on
private property or federal grazing allotment at the discretion of the
landowner/property owner/allotment owner as long as reasonable
coordination with neighboring ranchers takes place; and
8. Wolf release sites must meet with
the approval and be approved by signature of ranchers and sporting
interests within a 20 mile radius of the release site; and
9. Timing of releases must be
coordinated between FWS and livestock operators within five miles of
calving pastures; and
10. Ranchers can designate a
three-month time period when wolves cannot be released within five miles
of the private land or allotment. Ranchers must have a relatively safe
calving period – wolves must not be conditioned to follow livestock for
prey; and
11. No releases within five miles of
established guide outfitter camps or established access trail roads; and
12. Releases shall not be located in
areas that require closure of compromise reasonable access to federal
lands; and
13. Wolf release sites outside
wilderness, or on the wilderness boundary shall be no closer than ten
miles from private homes; and
14. Wolves must be adversely
conditioned to avoid human beings and livestock to the extent possible.
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