Appeals court to rule on jaguar habitat

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It will be up to a federal appeals court to decide whether tens of thousands of acres in New Mexico should be reserved as critical habitat for the endangered jaguar.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver heard arguments Wednesday from lawyers representing farmers and ranchers wary of setting aside such a large expanse for the cats because few of the animals have been seen in the American Southwest over the last two decades.

Environmentalists have argued that setting aside the territory will be crucial to helping jaguars expand their range beyond their core population south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Jaguars have prowled the Southwest’s rugged mountains and desert rivers for thousands of years, but they won’t flourish again without safeguards,” said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.

The challenged areas are part of nearly 1,200 square miles designated in 2014 as essential for the conservation of the jaguar.

The critical habitat spans parts of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. The New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau and other ranching groups have argued that much of the habitat in New Mexico is privately owned grazing land.

They have said the designation could affect the renewal of grazing permits, the building of stock ponds or fencing and ultimately the ranchers’ livelihoods.