Mexican Gray Wolves, Courts, and the Border Wall: Lobo Returns from Limbo

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the reintroduction and recovery of the Mexican wolf in the American Southwest, with a particular focus on the role of the Federal judiciary. Edward A. Fitzgerald contends that federal courts have played a critical role in facilitating the species’ return, primarily through their interpretation of statutory law-most notably, the Endangered Species Act (ESA).The courts rejected challenges from the livestock industry, reaffirmed Federal authority over the recovery process, and struck down certain Federal regulations that hindered effective wolf management.However, Fitzgerald argues that the judiciary also made significant missteps.Federal courts upheld revised Mexican wolf management regulations and recovery plans that failed to meet the ESA’s requirement to rely on the “best available science.” Additionally, the courts issued inconsistent rulings concerning the construction of border barriers.While they blocked the Trump administration’s unautho