I was dismayed to read HCN’s profile of John Morgart, the man at least partially responsible for crafting the proposed one-year moratorium on Mexican gray wolf releases in the Blue Range, and other changes to the reintroduction standard operating procedures — because it did not mention the dubious circumstances leading up to the release of these proposals (HCN, 7/25/05: Wolf man John).

According to the Mexican Wolf Adaptive Management Oversight Committee’s own documentation, the February proposal was developed, at least in part, as a response to a private meeting with "constituents" of Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.

The document states that "the general message conveyed by meeting participants was that they strongly opposed the Mexican wolf reintroduction program. From their perspective, the program has been a failure, locals have not been fairly compensated for their losses, and the wolf program is not properly receptive of their concerns or truthful with the public."

It appears that your portrait of a "collaboratively crafted" policy may not be particularly accurate, and that the last and most powerful voice in Mr. Morgart’s ear may have had more influence than the other stakeholders.

Joe Durnell