Catron county declares disaster over wolves update

Catron County voted to amend its disaster declaration on Tuesday.

“After hearing testimony at the public hearing, we as commissioners have all realized this is more of a human safety issue along with the livestock depredations,” Audrey McQueen, Catron commissioner, said.

Commissioner Chair Buster Green said in a press release that the commission felt it was best to modify the declaration’s language to reflect all the concerns voiced at the meeting more precisely.

Catron County’s lawyer, Adren Nance, confirmed that nothing was removed from the original declaration. Although there were syntax edits and some rearranging, the amended changes included additional language emphasizing the human suffering and impact on pets.

Last Thursday, April 3, Catron County held an emergency meeting that exceeded capacity at the courthouse in Reserve, with approximately 150 attendees crowding the courtroom and hallways.

After listening to 37 public comments for over two hours, the commissioners unanimously approved a resolution declaring a disaster in Catron County, citing the ongoing injuries and damage caused by Mexican Grey Wolves.

State Representative Gail Armstrong offered to hand deliver the emergency declaration to the governor.

“I’m going to fight like crazy to get her to sign this,” Armstrong said. “When our way of life is threatened, we stand up and we say no.”

She said she runs cattle in Socorro and Catron County and has spent years attempting to educate her peers and the legislature about ranch life.

“It’s not just about the depredations, it’s about the breed back, it’s about the stress on your cattle, it’s about my 13 grandkids playing in the front yard,” Armstrong said.

Public commentators were critical of the current wolf management program, highlighting concerns about livestock losses, inaccurate wolf counts, the economic impact, and community safety, especially for elders and children.

Community members shared stories of wolf attacks and kills on their dogs, horses and livestock. One Navajo Apache rancher said the wolves are evil in the eyes of her people and take away what the Creator gave them to provide for their families. A rancher who raises livestock guardian dogs said that although the dogs help, it is challenging and expensive. One rancher reported an estimated loss of $244,000 in five years from wolf depredations.

Ten-year-old Holden McPhaul and 13-year-old Breely Green of Quemado told the commission about their experiences seeing wolves, the impact it’s had on their family and their fears of playing outside.

Green cried as she recalled her experience: “I had an encounter with the Mexican wolf. I was all by myself. I was so scared.”

She said she didn’t have cell phone service to call her dad and although she made it back okay, she is afraid to play on the trampoline because of the wolf tracks near her house.

“I never used to be afraid of wolves, but now I am. I used to be able to ride on a ranch alone, but now my dad says to stay close, my dad never used to pack a gun, but now he does,” McPhaul said during his comment.

Catron County Sheriff Keith Hughes said he was committed to community safety.

“I’ve heard numerous times today about the children I know you people in here are tired of your cattle being killed, tired of your pets being killed,” Hughes said, “I’ll be damned. I’m going to let a kid be killed. That’s not going to happen in my life.”

He believes wolves should not be on private land without landowner permission, and he is exploring legal options to charge individuals for bringing wolves onto private property.

Depredation Investigator Shawn Menges shared his firsthand experience investigating wolf depredations throughout the county. He mentioned that on one occasion, he received six calls in a single day, most of which were confirmed wolf kills. He said he has witnessed the heartbreak the situation has caused within the community.

Commissioner Buster Green invited representatives from wildlife organizations, who attended on Zoom, to make comments. They shared ongoing efforts to manage wolf populations through non-lethal methods and refund programs to help ranchers.

Mike Sloan of New Mexico Game and Fish confirmed a reported 162 minimum of wolves in Catron County, which was met with doubt from the crowd.

“We have three full-time staff working on the whole program, doing everything from the hazing animals to traffic, translocating, trying to put collars on animals,” Sloan said. “We also have officers in the area who do much of the same work. We do diversionary feeding and coordinate responses with the Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Brady McGee, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican wolf recovery coordinator, supported the county’s decision.

“I will say that I think there have been some issues here in regards to some of the compensation with programs and money; I do fully support Catron County trying to get funds and money to be able to hire range riders and do things on their own,” McGee said.

Greta Anderson, deputy director of the Western Watersheds project reported that she and a number of pro-wolf activists attended the call via zoom, but did not make any comments.

“I think you can tell from the hostility in the room, and in particular the remarks of the sheriff, why pro-wolf activists might not feel welcome or safe attending in person,” Anderson said.

She said she is opposed to the county receiving disaster funding.

“In addition to state and federal funds for proactive wolf conflict reduction measures, and state and federal funds for confirmed depredations, most of these ranchers are operating on federal public lands where the grazing fee is just $1.35 per month for every cow/calf pair. This is a deep subsidy compared to private land livestock lease rates, and should offset the extra expenses associated with this form of livestock grazing,” Anderson said.

She believes that money should be designated to retire grazing permits in wolf habitat.

“If livestock grazing isn’t economically viable in the presence of these native wildlife, maybe that’s a wiser business decision,”

The declaration signed by the commissioners states that the Mexican Grey Wolf Recovery Program (MGWRP) was imposed on Catron County residents by the federal government, despite livestock production being a crucial socioeconomic factor and cultural tradition in the area.

The declaration emphasizes that the program has caused significant suffering for both people and animals, threatening the safety and economic stability of Catron County. If not addressed, it may result in injury, property damage, or financial losses.

The Board of County Commissioners requests the Governor provide emergency financial resources to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. They also ask the governor to mobilize units of the New Mexico Army and Air National Guards, as well as the New Mexico State Defense Force, to support local authorities, protect livestock, and prevent wolf conflicts.