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Graham County renews MOU to retain seat on Mexican gray wolf recovery discussions
Summary
The board approved renewing a multijurisdictional memorandum of understanding so Graham County remains a cooperating agency on Mexican gray wolf recovery and management, allowing the county to participate in talks with federal and state agencies and advocate for rancher interests.
Graham County supervisors voted unanimously to renew a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that keeps the county a cooperating agency on Mexican gray wolf recovery and management.
County Manager Welker briefed the board: "This is a request to approve a memorandum of understanding for Mexican wolf recovery and management." He said the county's role has been to "have a seat at the table" as a voice for ranchers and others affected by wolf reintroduction.
Welker and a supervisor explained the MOU renews long-standing county participation with other eastern Arizona counties and the regional organization referred to in the meeting as ECO. The cooperating-agency arrangement lets county representatives engage with lead federal and state agencies named during the discussion, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
A supervisor summarized the county's role under federal law and ECO's mitigation activities: "The Mexican gray wolf introduction was passed, that's Endangered Species Act passed by Congress. So, it's not something that we were originally signed up and say, 'Yeah, let's bring the Mexican gray wolf in.' But it was...an act of Congress and so our role...is to have a seat at the table." He described ECO-funded range riders and efforts to seek state funding for broader ranch impacts beyond direct depredation payouts.
The board approved the MOU renewal by voice vote.
