Urgent! AZ Anti-wolf bills in committee Monday!

Mexican gray wolves are native to Arizona and are an important part of the state’s natural heritage. With only 83 Mexican wolves remaining in the wild, they need all the help they can get.

But members of the Arizona State Legislature seem determined to push this small struggling population of endangered lobos closer to extinction.

On Monday, March 10, anti-wolf bills will be heard in the AZ House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee.

Please contact committee members today to make sure these bills do not become law.

Legislation sponsored by AZ State Senator Gail Griffin and others (SB 1211) encourages Arizona residents to trap and kill Mexican gray wolves in violation of federal law.

Another bill (SB 1212) appropriates $250,000 for state litigation to impede federal efforts to recover Mexican wolves.

Adding insult to injury, a concurrent resolution  also opposes Mexican wolf recovery (SCR 1006).

Please contact committee members and urge them to oppose this outrageous legislation!

• Frank Pratt, Chairman, D-8 (R): 602-926-5761, fpratt@azleg.gov 

• Karen Fann, Vice-Chairman, D-1 (R): 602-926-5874, kfann@azleg.gov

• Albert Hale, D-7 (D): 602-926-4323, ahale@azleg.gov

• Macario Saldate IV, D-3 (D): 602-926-4171, msaldate@azleg.gov

• Ethan Orr, D-9 (R): 602-926-3235, eorr@azleg.gov

• T.J. Shope, D-8 (R): 602-926-3012, tshope@azleg.gov

• Jamescita Peshlakai, D-7 (D): 602-926-5160, jpeshlakai@azleg.gov

• Bob Thorpe, D-6 (R): 602-926-5219, bthorpe@azleg.gov

Tell them politely that you expect them to oppose these bills that embarrass Arizona, waste taxpayer money and fly in the face of overwhelming majority public support for wolf recovery.

Additional talking points include:

• Polling showed 77% of Arizona voters and 69% of New Mexico voters support the Mexican wolf reintroduction.

• The livestock industry has a responsibility to share public lands with wolves and other wildlife. There are many tried and true methods to avoid conflicts between livestock and wolves. Funds are available to help livestock owners implement nonlethal deterrents, better animal husbandry practices, and other innovative tools that minimize conflict.

• If state legislators really want to help, they should redirect the $250,000 slated for lawyers toward implementation of the new Coexistence Plan — a performance-based program co-developed by ranchers, conservationists and wildlife agencies, which provides funds to help implement conflict-avoidance measures and “rewards” ranchers for helping to successfully raise the wolf population.

• Wildlife biologists believe that Mexican wolves will improve the overall health of the Southwest and its rivers and streams — just as the return of gray wolves to Yellowstone has helped restore balance to its lands and waters..

• Wolves generate economic benefits – a University of Montana study found that visitors who come to see wolves in Yellowstone contribute roughly $35.5 million annually to the regional economy.

Thank you for standing for Mexican wolf recovery.

Photo courtesy of Endangered Wolf Center.