Update 02/17/2014
A review by an independent panel of scientists determined unanimously that the U.S. government's proposal to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife is based on unproven claims about their genetics and not on the best available science. The report, released on February 7, 2014, and produced by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara, concluded that the scientific research cited by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was insufficient and that more study is needed before lifting federal protection. In light of the independent panel's determination, the public comment period on the proposed delisting rule has been reopened for 45 days to allow opportunity for additional comments. The public comment period is scheduled to close on March 27, 2014.
Comments may be submitted at the following link.
The complete independent scientific peer review report on the proposal can be found here.
Dear Friend of Wolves,
Wolves need our help! A war continues against endangered wolves across the United States, a war that will gain deadly momentum if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) proposal to remove federal protection for gray wolves is approved.
On October 23rd this depraved photograph was posted on the Facebook page of an anti-wolf group- Sportsmen Against Wolves.
When I saw such brutal violence against our wildlife I had to speak out. I wrote this blog on Huffington Post The War Against Wolves and Wildlife: Time to Stop the Killing to expose this increasing anti-wolf and predator zealotry and to encourage people to speak out for wolves and against delisting. This photograph and the many comments posted supporting such cruel violence make it clear: safeguards for wolves must be maintained and enhanced.
The FWS' proposal to remove federal protections for wolves has inadequately considered the continued threats posed by poachers and others openly hostile to wolves. Moreover, they have allowed excessive state-sanctioned killings including trophy hunting and fur trapping. Poaching and wolf killing at the behest of livestock interests also threaten to derail wolf recovery.
We must not let this proposal go unchallenged! The FWS' proposal to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections from the remaining gray wolves throughout the lower 48 states is premature and is not based in sound science. Please join me and Project Coyote in speaking out against the delisting proposal and against anti-wolf fanatics to ensure the full recovery of this keystone predator.
From Sacramento to Washington, D.C., Project Coyote representatives are working with allies against the delisting proposal. Read on for important information about upcoming public hearings, how to submit comments to the FWS, and talking points for your personalized letter:
What You Can Do:
The FWS is now accepting comments on the proposed delisting rule. Please write the FWS today to let them know that you oppose the delisting of gray wolves from the ESA. Please submit your comments no later than December 17th.
The channels for submitting written comments during the proposed regulation public comment period are:
Public Comments Processing
Attn: FWS-HW-ES-2013-0073
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-pdm
Arlington, VA 22203
(Please also cc your letters to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and urge her to ensure federal protections for wolves by keeping them listed under the ESA. Send emails to feedback@ios.doi.gov or phone 202-208-3100. Letters can be sent to: Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington DC 20240).
Please consider attending and testifying at these public meetings; individuals will have from 1-3 min. to speak:
- November 19th, Denver, CO, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place
- November 20th, Albuquerque, NM, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Embassy Suites, Sandia Room, 1000 Woodward Place NE
- November 22nd, Sacramento, CA, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Marriot Courtyard Sacramento Cal Expo, Golden State Ballroom, 1782 Tribute Road
Join Project Coyote and our allies for a pre-hearing rally in support of America's wolves.
Marriot Courtyard Sacramento Cal Expo, 1782 Tribute Road
Rally will begin at 4:00 pm. (Please plan to arrive by 3:45 pm.)
- December 3rd, Pinetop, AZ, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Hon-Dah Conference Center, 777 Highway 260 (A public information meeting will be held from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm at the Hon-Dah Conference Center.)
Additional information on public hearings can be found here.
Suggested talking points (in addition to points above):
- The proposal to remove the gray wolf from the list of threatened and endangered species comes at a time when gray wolf recovery is incomplete. Maintaining federal protections under the ESA is critical if gray wolves are to recover throughout their historic range. Their protection should not be abandoned as wolves have only begun to recover in many regions, occupying only a fraction of suitable habitat throughout the United States.
- As a keystone apex predator, wolves are critical to maintaining the structure and integrity of healthy native ecosystems, providing ecological assets to hundreds of other species. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park has resulted in the regeneration of streamside vegetation following decades of over-browsing by elk, contributing to the return of beavers and many songbirds to the area.
- The delisting proposal would leave gray wolf management to individual states. The FWS has expressed its confidence in the ability of state wildlife agencies to successfully manage wolf populations, yet state conservation and management plans have proven detrimental in maintaining wolf recovery efforts. Under the management of state wildlife officials who have authorized liberal wolf hunts, wolf numbers have declined significantly.
- Wildlife policy decisions should be based on the best available, peer-reviewed science. Scientific evidence does not support the claim that federal protection for wolves is no longer necessary, but rather shows that populations have just begun to recover. Currently wolves occupy less than 10% of their historic range and only a third of their suitable habitat. Gray wolves are only beginning to return to suitable habitat in California, Utah, and Colorado.
- The long-term recovery of wolves, a formerly widely distributed species in the western U.S., depends on wolves being able to successfully disperse between widely-separated populations.
It's time to speak for wolves and to move from persecution toward a path of recovery and coexistence. Together we can make a difference; for the sake of wolves and for the health of our planet, we must speak.
Please share this Action Alert with others!
For the Wild,
Camilla H. Fox
Executive Director
PS- Read this week's Forbes article about Project Coyote's work with ranchers to promote tolerance and acceptance of wolves on the landscape, Ranchers Insistence On Cheap Grazing Keeps Wolf Population in the Crosshairs.
DC Rally for Wolves, September 07, 2013
Photo Michelle Chandler
CNN is taking an online poll about whehter to run a story about this wolf - Blondie- who became famous in the gorgeous photographs of Jim Brandenburg. Blondie was killed in Nov. 2012 by a hunter. Please take the poll on CNNs page and select "This belongs on CNN". Click here.
P
Photo: John Harr
ison
DC
|
|
