Rule for managing endangered Mexican wolves spurs lawsuit

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. wildlife managers are being sued over their new management rule for the endangered Mexican gray wolf, with environmentalists saying it doesn’t go far enough to ensure the species’ survival. The court-ordered changes were the result of another years-long legal battle over the predators. This time, environmentalists said in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday that the rule falls short of addressing genetic concerns and prevents the animals from roaming bigger swaths of the American Southwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday reiterated plans to work with officials in New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico to restore the species. There currently are about 200 wolves in the wild in southwest U.S.