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House subcommittee hears competing views as Rep. Gosar seeks to delist Mexican gray wolf
Summary
Lawmakers, ranchers and tribal leaders clashed at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing over HR 42 55, a bill from Rep. Paul Gosar that would delist the Mexican gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act; witnesses disputed population numbers, public-safety claims and whether delisting should be conditioned on recovery in Mexico.
WASHINGTON — The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries heard sharply divided testimony on HR 42 55 on Thursday, a bill sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar that would remove Mexican gray wolves designated as a ‘‘nonessential experimental population’’ from the Endangered Species Act. Gosar and ranching representatives said delisting is needed to protect rural communities and livestock; tribal leaders and conservation advocates urged continued ESA protections and broader recovery work.
Gosar, the bill’s sponsor, told the panel the law should ‘‘give local communities the flexibility’’ to manage wolves and said federal protections have created a financial burden for ranching communities. He and witnesses described repeated livestock losses and said counties have passed emergency declarations in response to wolf impacts. ‘‘We don't need these experimental populations,’’ Gosar said in graphic testimony that included descriptions of depredation incidents.
Opponents, including Ranking Member…
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