Earthjustice Strongly Opposed to Rep. Gosar Legislation to Delist Mexican Gray Wolf

The House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a markup for this Thursday on legislation to prematurely remove Endangered Species Act protections for the Mexican gray wolf – one of the most endangered mammals in the United States. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), would delist the Mexican gray wolf and push the critically imperiled species closer to extinction. Over 70 organizations sent a letter to the House of Representatives urging members to vote against the bill this week.

“Yet again Republicans in Congress are attempting to sidestep the Endangered Species Act to legislatively delist a critically imperiled species,” said Aaron Bloom, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Biodiversity Defense Program. “This utter disregard for science, and the normal process that invites public engagement and allows for judicial review, is extremely troubling. The fate of our most endangered species should not be left to the whims of members of Congress who want protections removed at all costs to benefit industry.”

Mexican gray wolves are the most distinct lineage of wolves in the Western Hemisphere. This wolf subspecies of the American Southwest and Mexico was driven to near extinction as a result of government-sponsored killing in the mid-20th century. By the end of the killing program, just seven individuals remained to found a captive breeding program. The enactment of the Endangered Species Act spurred efforts to recover the Mexican gray wolf from the looming threat of extinction and it was listed as endangered in 1976.