By Jonathan Eberle |

State Representative Gail Griffin (R-LD19) has called for the removal of the Mexican gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species List by 2026, citing growing concerns from rural communities in southeastern Arizona about livestock losses, public safety, and property rights.

Griffin, who chairs the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, argues that the federal Mexican wolf reintroduction program has evolved beyond its original conservation goals, becoming what she describes as a “multi-million-dollar anti-ranching industry” that threatens the livelihoods of Arizona ranchers and the customs of rural communities.

“The Mexican wolf is a vicious predator that threatens our rural industries and way of life,” Griffin writes. “Our children cannot safely play outside, our pets are at risk, and our communities live in fear.”

Her remarks come amid a rise in reported wolf-related livestock losses. According to Griffin, 26 such incidents have occurred in 2025 in southeastern Arizona, including the deaths of cattle and horses. She contends that the Mexican gray wolf population, which reached at least 286 in the wild this year, has surpassed sustainable levels and exceeded the original recovery target of 100 wolves set in the 1990s.

Federal wildlife officials have maintained that the species remains endangered and that reintroduction is essential to its long-term survival. The Mexican gray wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf, was once nearly extinct in the wild. Recovery efforts began in the late 1990s through captive breeding and reintroduction into Arizona and New Mexico.

But Griffin questions the genetic integrity of the species, describing it as hybridized with domestic dogs and coyotes, and claims that its habituation to humans has led to increased conflict. She also argues that the majority of the wolf’s historical habitat lies in Mexico — not the U.S. — and that Arizona should not bear the primary burden of its recovery.

“The Mexican wolf is no longer in need of the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act,” Griffin writes. “It is time to de-list the Mexican wolf, defund the reintroduction program, and transfer management to state and local control.”

Her op-ed also criticizes the cost of the federal program, which she says has exceeded $220 million to date, with an estimated cost of $500,000 to $1 million per wolf when including ongoing expenses through 2030. Griffin calls for compensation to ranchers not only for direct livestock losses but also for indirect economic harm.

Arizona lawmakers have already passed resolutions urging Congress to delist the wolf, and Griffin is calling on federal legislators to take further action. The issue is likely to remain contentious as stakeholders debate how to balance species recovery with rural economic concerns.

With pressure mounting on both sides, the future of the Mexican gray wolf in Arizona may ultimately hinge on whether state or federal voices prevail in shaping wildlife policy across the American Southwest.

Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.