Mexican Wolves on The Navajo Nation? Presentations 2015/Mexican... · 2020-02-06 · – Wolves...
Transcript of Mexican Wolves on The Navajo Nation? Presentations 2015/Mexican... · 2020-02-06 · – Wolves...
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Mexican Wolves on The Navajo Nation?
Chad Smith Zoologist, Natural Heritage Program
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Background
• Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus bailyii) – Subspecies of Gray Wolf formerly ranging
throughout the interior southwest and Sierra Madre Region of Mexico
– Hunted to extinction in the U.S. by the mid-1900’s – Small population trapped and maintained in
captivity – Reintroduced into NM and AZ in the 1990s
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Current Status
• Currently fewer than 100 Mexican wolves live in NM and AZ
• Recovery plan developed in the 1990’s has failed to reach management goals of an experimental population of 100 wolves
• In 2014 changes to the recovery plan have been developed and recently published, with alterations in management of wolves to better achieve recovery goals, and prevent conflict
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Experimental Population
• Mexican Wolves in the southwest are designated as an experimental non-essential population.
• This designation allows for more flexible management of the species (including lethal removal) that would otherwise be illegal under the ESA
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New Management
• Increase in the area Mexican Wolves will be allowed to naturally disperse (MWEPA)
• Increase in the area within MWEPA where wolves can be released
• Phased management and introductions west of highway 87 in AZ – Wolves can be gradually allowed to disperse to the
west over a period of 12 years as needed to achieve population goals.
• Target population of 300-325 wolves in MWEPA • Stricter management to the west and east
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Management Zones
• Wolves can be introduced anywhere in zone 1 • Wolves can naturally disperse anywhere in
zone 2 • Wolves can disperse elsewhere in the MWEPA
(zone 3) but will be more strictly managed • Wolves that disperse out of MWEPA will be
trapped and relocated • Wolves that disperse onto tribal lands will be
removed at the tribes request.
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Previous Management
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New Management Rules
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Management of problem wolves
• The USFWS will consider impacts to wild ungulate populations resulting in decreases of more than 15 percent or decreases below state management goals, unacceptable – Wolves may be relocated or lethally removed to
prevent damage to ungulate populations
• USFWS has included rules protecting non-feral dogs as livestock
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What new changes mean for Navajo
• Likely expansion of wolf population may increase likelihood of wolves moving onto Navajo Lands
• Potential small impacts to livestock and wild ungulates.
• Under New rules the service will voluntarily remove any wolf that moves north of I-40
• The service will also remove any wolf found on Navajo Lands south of I-40 at the tribe’s request.
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NNDFW response/management options
• Currently NNDFW is requesting that any wolves dispersing onto Navajo property be removed by the service
• NNDFW has no management plan for Mexican wolves as we are not voluntarily participating in Mexican Wolf recovery.
• NNDFW personnel currently have little legal ability to respond to Mexican wolves on the nation due to lack of a permit under ESA. Only the service can trap or lethally remove wolves
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Legal Status of Mexican Wolves on Navajo Nation
• Currently The NNDFW lists the Mexican Wolf as Extirpated – Wolves have been confirmed making visits to tribal lands south
of I-40 – No confirmed damage to livestock or property has been
reported – No confirmed sightings of wolves have been made on Navajo
lands north of I-40 • Wolves found on lands north of I-40 are a legally
endangered species with all the protections afforded by ESA – Killing wolves or capturing wolves (even accidentally) is illegal
• Defense of human life or domestic livestock • Only USFWS is permitted to lethally control wolves outside MWEPA
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Questions?