FILE – This Jan. 25, 1998 photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a Mexican gray wolf, at a conditioning facility near Albuquerque, N.M. Environmentalists have reached settlements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will allow for direct releases of captive wolves into New Mexico as part of the federal government’s efforts to re-establish the species in the Southwest. The agency first unveiled a proposal in June 2013 that called for giving Mexican gray wolves more room to roam in New Mexico and Arizona. But on Friday, Aug. 30, 2013, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., criticized the proposed expansion of the program. He said millions of dollars have been spent over the last decade and the wolf population has yet to recover. (AP Photo/USFWS, file) ** Usable by LA and DC Only **