Speak out for wolves! Join wolf, carnivore, and wildlife conservationists throughout the nation to demand continued federal protections for the endangered and ecologically vital gray wolf. Please read on for info. about two national rallies & how to submit a comment to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in support of continued protections for wolves in the lower 48...

Stand for Wolves National Day of Action

Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, August 14th, Noon to 1:00 pm
Lafayette Square Park



Attend a National Day of Action event near you. Additional days of action are listed below and a complete list of events can be found here.
 
August 14, 11:00 am, MN State Capitol Building, Room 125 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd., St. Paul, MN

August 14, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation (Shelter 5), 6 Reservation Road Cross River, New York

August 14, 11:30 am, State Capitol Bldg. (top of State St.), Salt Lake City, UT
 

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The National Rally to Protect America's Wolves 

Saturday, September 7th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Washington, D.C.
Near the Washington Monument, on the National Mall; for more info. click here.

Did you know...
 

• As a keystone apex predator, wolves are a critical part of the ecosystem and provide ecological assets to hundreds of other species.
   
• The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park has resulted in the regeneration of streambed vegetation following decades of over browsing by elk, contributing to the return of beavers and many songbirds to the area.
   
• Highly social and intelligent, bonds between family members are very strong. While typically just one pair reproduces, all members of the family unit help care for the offspring.
   
• There was a time when wolves lived in almost every part of North America. Today, they are a mere shadow of their former numbers, occupying less than 5% of their historic range.
   

BACKGROUND: In June 2013, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced plans to remove federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections from the remaining gray wolves throughout the lower 48 states (with the exception of Mexican gray wolves). The delisting proposal would leave gray wolf management to individual states. We need only look toward the aggressive management practices and increased killing that resulted following the loss of federal protection for wolves in the Northern Rockies to understand why this decision will undoubtedly be detrimental to the conservation of wolves. According to the American Society of Mammalogists, 34% of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves were removed as a result of human causes last year (largely from trophy hunting and recreational/commercial fur trapping), threatening the long-term viability of the population.

Wildlife policy decisions should be based on the best available science. Scientific evidence does not support the claim that federal protection for wolves is no longer necessary. Maintaining federal protections under the Endangered Species Act is critical to continued gray wolf recovery if they are to recover throughout their historic range. Wolf recovery should not be abandoned as wolves have only just begun to recover in some regions.

"The rebound of gray wolves in the western Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountains has been a boon for local economies, wildlife enthusiasts, and the ecosystems of these areas that have benefitted from the return of this keystone predator. Studies in Yellowstone National Park found that the presence of wolves benefitted a myriad of species from pronghorn antelope, to songbirds, to beaver and fish. While there is much to be proud of, there remains considerable progress to be made towards wolf recovery in the lower 48 states. In particular, we are concerned that the same prejudice towards wolves that led to their extirpation across nearly the entire coterminous United States is still present today and, not only is threatening to undo the gains achieved in the northern Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes, but will prevent their recovery in additional areas. We believe that federal protection continues to be necessary to ensure that wolf recovery is allowed to proceed in additional parts of the country."
~Congressional letter to FWS Director Dan Ashe, signed by 52 members of Congress
 

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Please join us by submitting a comment (here) to the FWS in opposition to the delisting of gray wolves from the ESA. Your voice matters!

Thank you for showing up & speaking out for wolves!

The Project Coyote Team