Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Gray Wolf in Arizona and New Mexico

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has decided to reintroduce the endangered Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, a designated area within the subspecies' probable historic range. This reintroduction will be the first step toward recovery of the Mexican wolf in the wild. The Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area consists of the entire Apache and Gila National Forests in east-central Arizona and west-central New Mexico. If the Service later finds it to be both necessary for recovery and feasible, we would reintroduce wolves into the White Sands Wolf Recovery Area, which also lies within the subspecies' probable historic range. This area consists of all land within the boundary of the White Sands Missile Range in south-central New Mexico together with designated land immediately to the west of the missile range. By this rule, the Service classifies wolves to be re-established in these areas as one nonessential experimental population under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. This final rule sets forth management directions and provides for limited allowable legal take of wolves within a defined Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area.