Blue Range Wolf Reintroduction Project

Reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) of Arizona and New Mexico was initiated in March 1998. Mexican wolves released into the BRWRA and their offspring are designated as a nonessential experimental population which allows for greater management flexibility to address wolf conflict situations such as livestock depredations and nuisance behavior. The BRWRA is a defined geographic area that encompasses the entire Apache and Gila national forests and is divided into primary and secondary recovery zones. “Initial releases” (wolves born and raised in captivity) can only occur in Arizona in the primary recovery zone in Greenlee County. “Translocations” of experienced animals (previously released wolves or wolves born in the wild) can occur in either the primary or secondary recovery zones. Wolves are not allowed to establish territories on public lands wholly outside the BRWRA boundary and must be retrieved.

The Blue Range reintroduction project is managed jointly by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, USDA Forest Service, USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These agencies work together under a formal Memorandum of Understanding which defines and formalizes the role of each cooperator in the program. An Interagency Field Team (IFT), operating under a series of 23 Standardized Operating Procedures, provides on-the-ground daily management of wolves, and an Adaptive Management Oversight Committee (AMOC) provides guidance to the IFT and coordinates the reintroduction project between the various entities and the public. The Adaptive Management Working Group (AMWG) is comprised of any member of the interested public and functions to identify local issues and citizen concerns, review the effectiveness of the project, and make management recommendations. AMWG meetings are hosted quarterly by the AMOC in an open forum accessible to any interested party and alternate between Arizona and New Mexico. The AMOC is a State-led entity and is currently chaired by Arizona Game and Fish Department. Additional information about the Blue Range Reintroduction Project can be found on Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web page at: http://azgfd.gov/wolf.

• BRWRA Monthly Project Updates
• Mexican Wolf Final Rule
• BRWRA Map
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Standard Operating Procedures
• View Adaptive Management Working Group Meeting Notes
• Mexican Wolf Myth Busters
• Mexican Gray Wolf Fact Sheet
• Blue Range Wolf Reintroduction Project Fact Sheet
• Blue Range Wolf Reintroduction Project Fact Sheet for Guides, Outfitters, and Forest Visitors