The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized revised management regulations for Mexican wolves in the wild. The final rule includes a modified population objective, a new genetic objective, and temporarily restricts three forms of take within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) in Arizona and New Mexico under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service also finalized a determination to maintain the nonessential status of the experimental population. The revised rule was developed in response to a court-ordered remand of the 2015 10(j) rule by the District Court of Arizona. 

“This revision to the Mexican wolf 10(j) rule ensures we are on the best path toward recovery while continuing to provide a variety of tools to manage for conflict on the landscape,” said Amy Lueders, the Service’s Southwest Regional Director. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our state, federal and Tribal partners in ensuring the experimental population contributes to long-term conservation and recovery while also minimizing impacts on livestock operators, local communities and other wildlife.” 

The rule revision brings the management of the wild population in line with recovery criteria for the species as identified in the 2017 revised Mexican wolf recovery plan. The final rule includes the following changes:   

• Population objective: This revision aligns the population objective with the recovery criteria for the Mexican wolf in the United States: an 8-year rolling population average of at least 320 Mexican wolves with a stable or increasing population growth rate and more than 320 individuals in the last three years of the 8-year period. It removes the population limit from the 2015 10(j) rule that formerly allowed a maximum of 300-325 Mexican wolves in the MWEPA.  In the U.S., there were at least 196 Mexican wolves in the wild at the end of 2021.  
• Establish a genetic objective: Increases the number of captive Mexican wolf releases to continue building the genetic diversity of the MWEPA population, with the goal of 22 released wolves surviving to breeding age by 2030. This objective aligns with the genetic recovery criteria identified in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, First Revision. Since establishing a genetic recovery criterion in 2017, 13 released Mexican wolves have survived to breeding age in the wild.   
• Take restrictions: To provide captive released Mexican wolves with a greater chance of reaching breeding age and contributing to genetic diversity, the Service will temporarily restrict three forms of allowable take until the genetic diversity goals are reached. The take provisions that will be temporary restricted include take on non-federal land in conjunction with a removal action, take on federal land, and take in response to an unacceptable impact on a wild ungulate (e.g., elk) herd.   

In keeping with the Service’s mission to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people, the Service collaborated closely with the states of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as our federal, local and Tribal partners, throughout this process.   

The Service published a proposed rule and draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on October 29, 2021, for a 90-day public comment period. The Service published a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on May 13, 2022, that assessed the environmental impacts of the revisions. 

The final rule will go into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register on August 1, 2022. The final rule, final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and final Record of Decision are available at www.fws.gov/program/conserving-mexican-wolf. The final rule will also publish in the Federal Register under Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2021-0103.