2019 spring

The conservation of the Mexican Grey Wolf in the Southwestern United States has been contentious since the US Fish and Wildlife Service  began writing its first recovery plan for the species in 1982. Now, almost 40 years later, the fight continues over the FWS’ latest recovery plan issued in 2017. Two environmental groups, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians, filed suit in federal district court, claiming that the Recovery Plan fails to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Since President Trump signed Executive Order 13767 “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” on January 25, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has used a waiver provision six times to bypass dozens of federal environmental and historical preservation laws to build and repair barriers along the United States’ southern border.

On April 8, 2019, the United States House of Representatives and the Senate both passed legislation authorizing the Department of Interior to implement the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). The bills passed with bipartisan support, with all fourteen Senators from the Colorado Basin States cosponsoring the bill. Next, the legislation heads to President Trump to be signed.