The state of New Mexico has decided to sue the Federal Government because the government is releasing Mexican gray wolves into the wild. The New Mexico Game Commission had denied the federal government the permission to release the wolves and yet the government posted on an official website its intent to release the wolves.
Details of the Lawsuit Against Federal Government
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has directed its lawyers to file a notice of intent to sue and they have done so. The decision was taken after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made clear that it intended to release more Mexican gray wolves into the wild. This has been a sensitive topic for some time as last year the state denied the federal government the permission to release the wolves.
Federal Government’s Stand
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believe that the wolves need to be released into the wild so that the endangered species could recover. The agency posted its intention to do just that on its website and wrote about releasing a pack of pups which were born in captivity in New Mexico in order to help the pups reunite with their kind.
The agency also hopes for cross-fostering of pups with packs that are already in the wild. If that happens, it will improve the genetic diversity of the wild population in Arizona, as well as New Mexico. The agency is eager to release the pups this year only.
The Long Dispute
The agency is taking this step despite the fact that the New Mexico Game Commission did not give a nod for this release. The decision to reject the federal government was taken after months of discussing the matter.
The Authority
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also stated that the authority with regard to this matter lies with the federal government and not the state so it has no intention of backing out of the plan to release the wolves.
No Official Reaction
Bob Ricklefs, who serves as the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish commissioner, stated that the commission has no official reaction on the federal government’s move but that they are not surprised. It will be interesting to see who surpasses the other in this game of power. As of now, the federal government seems to have an upper hand.
