I thought folks would be interested in this because of the focus on the Southwest. I know a lot of people are celbrating the recent victory keeping oil and gas out of the famed Valles Caldera in northern New Mexico, but what they don’t know it that the public is excluded and this exclusionary semi-public land is supported by taxpayers who see little benefit from it.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—the agency charged with protecting endangered species—has increasingly turned from recovering Mexican gray wolves to systematically exterminating them from their only remaining population. The agency, which has been able to locate just 49 wolves on the ground, has killed six individuals since the beginning of last year. As this death toll continues to mount, the Mexican wolf recovery program has become a recipe for extinction. Because wolves are often removed due to conflicts with cattle, protecting the wolf is a priority for Forest Guardians’ Grazing Reform Program. Read on to find out how we are taking important steps to ensure this species’ success. 
In the struggle for Mexican wolf survival, every victory counts. In response to a recent appeal by Forest Guardians and others, the Hermosa Allotment will remain a wolf-friendly spot on the Gila National Forest. The Hermosa has been cow-free for over 13 years, making it prime wolf habitat and even a wolf release site. The Forest Service’s proposal to reintroduce cattle to the allotment would have drastically reduced the meaningful space available to wolves in their own recovery zone. Our appeal sent the Forest Service back to the drawing board by forcing them to examine the impacts from livestock grazing to all sensitive species on the Hermosa, including the Mexican wolf. 
The Valles Caldera Trust turned down Forest Guardians’ $25,000 offer to open the Preserve to people and wildlife instead of cows in 2007. By choosing low income grazing over high yield ecotourism, the Trust seems bent on losing money ’til the cows come home. Though the Preserve is supposed to be managed for aesthetics, wildlife, and recreation, the Trust won’t prioritize these values over grazing- even to turn a profit. Undeterred by the Trust’s rejection, Forest Guardians is dedicated to protecting the Valles Caldera. We will continue to put our money where our mouth is, and look forward to the day when people take precedence over cattle on the Preserve. 
After doing battle with the Forest Service over Mexican spotted owls for almost a decade, Forest Guardians is back in court with the feds to protect this species on the brink. The agency is mismanaging livestock grazing on the Sacramento Allotment in southern New Mexico, and harming owls in the process. The allotment encompasses more than 110,000 acres, and provides vital, protected habitat for the owls. Forest Guardians seeks to force the agency to re-consult with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on how grazing is impacting both the owls and their critical habitat, and we’ve asked the federal district court to remove all livestock from the allotment until that consultation has been completed. 
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
