Boo-hoo for the poor wolf-haters who couldn’t get adequate representation in public meetings like the one held in Reserve, in Catron county, not a liberal hotbed. But, fortunately, they didn’t need public meetings if politicians will rush to kiss their asses.

The late Joe Skeen was a tireless wolf opponent. Steve Pearce may feel the same way, or he may just realize how valuable those non-conserving conservative supporters can be. Money buys access to power. mjh

ABQjournal: Wolf Recovery Plan Update on Hold By Tania Soussan, Journal Staff Writer

Efforts to update a recovery plan for endangered Mexican gray wolves have been put on hold indefinitely, delaying decisions about whether to relax rules of the Southwest’s wolf reintroduction program.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suspended meetings of the recovery planning team and has no date set to resume the work, said Tracy Scheffler, a recovery biologist and primary liaison for the team. …

[E]nvironmentalists also are criticizing the Fish and Wildlife Service for sending high-level staff to meetings called by Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., to discuss a five-year review of the wolf program.

Pearce’s staff organized the meetings in Glenwood and Socorro for ranchers, hunters and guides who said they couldn’t express their concerns and opinions adequately at earlier public open houses held by the wolf recovery team.

Dave Parsons, a biologist and former leader of the wolf program, said the meetings gave wolf opponents access to higher-level decision makers than other members of the public got at the open houses.

Craig Miller of Defenders of Wildlife said the meetings illustrate the “sweetheart relationship” between the livestock industry and the Bush administration.