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Regular Agenda Item 4. D.

Regular BOS Meeting

Meeting Date:	07/10/2018
Submitted By:	Jacque Sanders, Asst. County Manager/Librarian
Department:	Deputy County Mgr/Library District

Information

Request/Subject

Submit Board of Supervisors' comments to the Secretary of the Interior regarding funding of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan Economic Impact on Arizona Ranchers and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Background Information

The Mexican Wolf Recovery program including the Mexican Wolf Nonessential Experimental Population (10(j)) disproportionately and negatively affect eastern Arizona counties and the ranching businesses in those counties, along with the western New Mexico counties and their ranching communities. Since the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program is considered an asset to society by its supporters, it cannot continue to be managed as a liability to a small subset of society, namely the Arizona an New Mexico ranchers who are disproportionately affected by the negative economic impacts of the program, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department that provides the bulk of the field personnel that manages the program.

The Eastern Counties in Arizona are collectively sending their respective versions of this letter to Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke asking for increased financial support from the federal government to fully support the actual direct and indirect costs of this program on the local area ranching businesses and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Evaluation

This letter is part of a larger strategy of the affected counties in Arizona and New Mexico to continue the conversation of the actual and indirect costs of this program. Eastern Counties Organization (ECO) is coordinating this effort.

Conclusion

Since the Nonessential Experimental Mexican Wolf Recovery Program is expanding, the negative economic effects will expand as well. Given that this program had an approximate total cost of $38 million last year with an annual count of 114 wolves, the annual cost to society as a whole is currently at $330,000 per wolf, and this does not take into account the cost to the livestock producers, nor the cost to those communities that are affected by this program. The intention of these letters is to bring these actual costs to the forefront of the discussion while the program expansion plans are underway.

Recommendation

Staff recommends submitting the attached letter to the Secretary of the Interior regarding the economic impact of this program and add to the discussion regarding potential suggestions for assisting with offsetting the negative economic impact to communities and livestock producers in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Areas.

Suggested Motion

Information/Discussion/Action to consider issuing a letter from the Board of Supervisors to the Secretary of the Interior regarding funding of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan Economic Impact on Arizona Ranchers and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. (Jacque Sanders)

Attachments
Letter to Secretary of the Interior - Wolf