ABQ judge temporarily halts wolf releases

An Albuquerque judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction to the state of New Mexico prohibiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from releasing any more wolves in the state until court issues are resolved. The injunction is in effect until federal authorities obtain a state permit, according to the ruling. New Mexico’s Department of Game and Fish sued the federal agency for releasing two wolf pups in Catron County in April, part of the ongoing effort to reintroduce Mexican wolves into the wild in New Mexico and Arizona. Game and Fish, which has opposed to the reintroduction program in recent years citing concerns about how the program has been managed, filed a lawsuit to block any more wolf reintroductions until the federal agency develops a species management plan and remove the two pups from the wild...more