Let me see if I have this straight: In Catron County,
N.M., a place notorious for its anti-federal government and
anti-environmental stance, we’re shooting and trapping wolves that
have been fraudulently set up to violate the “three strikes” rule
by the lackey of a wealthy foreigner who ranches for pleasure and
not need (HCN, 12/24/07). Your article didn’t
mention how many cows this foreigner/make-believe cowboy runs
versus how many are lost to wolves, as in, “Do we have an ACTUAL
problem here?” nor how much of his 275,000-acre spread includes
federal grazing allotments, nor how much he gets compensated by the
federal government for each loss. I like to give ranchers the
benefit of the doubt when it comes to their opposition to wolf
reintroduction.
Real loss from real ranchers is one
thing, and reasonable people can disagree. But this story makes it
hard to feel charitable. We’re killing wolves for a wealthy
foreigner who simply wants to play American cowboy and who thrives
in part thanks to the generosity of the American system … and
Catron County thinks they’re being manipulated by WHOM? Is it just
me, or does this make about as much sense as the old ’60s mantra
about screwing in the name of virginity? Gimme a break!
Wayne Hare
Fruita, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Playing cowboy at the wolf’s expense.
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