BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service convened a recovery planning team in 2010 that included a Science and Planning Subgroup made up of some of the top wolf experts in the country. The Science and Planning Subgroup developed draft recommendations for recovery of the Mexican gray wolf based on the best available science, which included the following:
In addition to the current wild population of Mexican gray wolves in western New Mexico and eastern Arizona, two new core populations must be established in the Grand Canyon region in northern Arizona and southern Utah and in the Southern Rockies region in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, areas containing the most suitable habitat for Mexican gray wolves;
Natural dispersal must be possible between the three core populations through habitat connectivity;
Each of the three populations must have a minimum of 200 wolves and together, must have, at the very least, 750 wolves;
There must be a decrease in human caused mortality; and
Genetic rescue of the wild population must be addressed.
Source: Wolf Supporters Urge Gov. Ducey to End State Interference with Wolf Recovery | Sierra Club