Nossaman Works With New Mexico To Reach Agreement With US Fish and Wildlife Service on Endangered Wolf Release

Nossaman  is representing the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish with respect to a number of endangered species matters.  The firm represented New Mexico in a case challenging the release of captive Mexican wolves into an experimental population in New Mexico in violation of federal and state law, successfully obtaining a preliminary injunction from the district court against the federal government, halting the release of captive wolves within the State of New Mexico. The injunction was eventually overturned by the Tenth Circuit on grounds that New Mexico failed to demonstrate a likelihood of irreparable harm, at which point the case was remanded back to district court.  In March 2018, New Mexico entered into a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona whereby the parties commit to work together to plan and carry out releases of captive bred wolves to supplement the wild population as part of a larger effort to recover Mexican wolves in the wild.  Thereafter, New Mexico agreed to dismiss the legal action. News of this agreement was reported in the Santa Fe New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal, AZCentral.com, ABC News and KUNM.