Skeen Blasts Plan For Wolves In Gila
	From the Thursday December 23, 1999

By Lisa Parker Sun-News

Following a recent flurry of activity regarding reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves to the Gila National Forest, U.S. Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., announced a strong stance on the subject Wednesday.

Skeen's office released copies of letters that the congressman sent to the Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday. The letters, both highly critical of the wolf reintroduction project, request additional public input and a new Environmental Impact Statement before wolves are released in the Gila.

In the letter to Nancy Kaufman, Southwest regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Skeen writes, "I am opposed to your agency's recent decisions to move forward with reintroduction of the Mexican Gray Wolf into the Gila National Forest. First, basing this decision on a four-year-old environmental document (EIS) is not sufficient to make such a major decision. ..."

The letter suggests that a new full-scale EIS "would provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the information, that based on two years, would allow them to avoid the continuing failure and embarrassment that the last two years of the wolf reintroduction program has brought."

Skeen writes that there is "no need to rush this decision" and says, "Quite frankly, as one who decides funding for many of these programs, I can't help but view the quality of the current effort as little more than a high school biology class project. ..."

Skeen's letter to Eleanor Towns, Southwest Regional forester of the U.S. Forest Service, requests a "full environmental review" of the wolf reintroduction plans.

It continues, "According to publicized reports, much of the activities associated with this proposal will take place in United States Forest Service designated wilderness areas. ... The USFS has made a point of not allowing activities in designated wilderness areas that violate the premise of nature unspoiled by man. I will be watching this current process to insure that the public knows exactly what to expect. I believe public hearings should be held so we all know the impact of this process. If cattle have been removed from areas because of environmental concerns I would think that numerous FWS (Fish and Wildlife Service) employees coming in on horseback with wolf project equipment would cause similar environmental concerns."

According to recent reports, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service plan to release wolves into the Gila National Forest as soon as February. The wolves have been captured from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. One of the reasons the wolves have been captured is that they have killed domestic animals. Four sites are proposed for wolf reintroduction -- McKenna Park, Chicken Coop Canyon, Miller Springs and Half Moon Park. The sites have been chosen in part because of their remote location and distance from grazing allotments.

Silver City resident Ron Henderson, who is retired from his work as a staff officer for the Lands, Minerals and Wilderness program on the Gila National Forest, works on a volunteer basis gathering information on the wolf introduction plan and presenting it to the Grant County Commission.

Henderson said Wednesday of the letters, "I think he's right on. Skeen as a congressman is totally representing my interests, and from visiting with the commissioners, he's also truly representing the interests of the commission and the residents of Grant County. "The existing EIS and the rule for re-establishing wolves only permits relocation of wolves" already released in the wild -- it does not permit releasing captive wolves that have not been previously released, he said. "If they want to introduce captive wolves they would have to go through a whole new rule-making process," Henderson said.

"That's the rub -- it (the existing EIS) necessitates planting problem wolves" instead of starting fresh with wolves that have no history of conflicts with livestock, he said.

Adam Polley, Catron County manager, said his county has "requested in the past to participate in an Environmental Impact Statement for reintroduction of wolves into the Gila National Forest and we will continue with that request." Catron County adopted a resolution Monday opposing "the release of wolves in the county that have a history of preying on domestic animals."

No one was available for comment at the Regional Forest Service office in Albuquerque. But Tom Bauer, assistant Southwest Regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Wednesday, "We are fully committed to work with the Forest Service on whatever NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) review the Forest Service deems necessary on relocation sites."

"We're not aware of any new information that would change the conclusions" of the existing EIS, or justify the expense of a new EIS, he said.

Bauer said information available since the EIS was completed is pro-wolf introduction: He said the New Mexico Game and Fish Department says there is "a lot more prey base" in the Gila National Forest than was estimated four years ago, and estimates of livestock deaths caused by wolves in Arizona are "much, much, much lower than predicted."

Bauer added that Fish and Wildlife officials "would be glad to sit down" with Skeen and discuss his concerns.

But Michael Robinson, of the Silver City-based Center for Biological Diversity, took a dimmer view of Skeen's concerns. He said both letters are full of "mistruths and false innuendos" and said "the hypocrisy is astounding ... Joe Skeen has never in his history supported wilderness values. ... This is clearly an attempt to delay something that the cattle industry has already delayed for too long."

"This is a cutting-edge restoration project worthy of 21st-century policy -- it's too bad that Congressman Skeen is looking at it through a prism of 19th-century values," said Robinson, adding: "Fortunately, people who live in and around the Gila National Forest are able to see the value of wilderness with wild wolves in it."

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