The day is finally here wolf advocates. Judge Molloy will hear from both sides of the wolf delisting lawsuit on Tuesday, June 15, at the federal courthouse in Missoula, Montana. Earthjustice will be representing wolves and the thirteen environmental groups who sued the USFWS for removing gray wolves protections.
The outcome of this litigation will literally determine the course of wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies. Wolves have been under assault in Idaho and Montana since they were delisted in the Spring of 2009. Wolf adovcates have endured a year of unspeakable sadness as we watched wolves slaughtered in two wolf hunts, while they continued to be killed by Wildlife Services, for agribusiness.
It has been worse then I ever imagined it would be. What is VERY worrisome is Montana FWP recently declared they still want to hold a wolf hunt, even if Judge Molloy relists wolves. They are trying to find a way to circumvent ESA, in my opinion. Their plan is to allow private hunters to kill wolves for agribusiness, instead of Wildlife Services agents. This is completely wrong and should be addressed immediately. Why would they do this? Apparently there are people who do not want to be denied a chance to kill a wolf and the state wants to accomodate them. It turns out this is really all about trophy hunting. Not livestock or tapeworms or Canadian wolves but blood sport.
I hope it won’t be a circus at the federal courthouse on Tuesday, with the anti-wolf crowd spouting off stupidisms (to borrow one of my friend’s words). It would be great if wolf advocates were there to show support for wolves. If you can’t make it then you’ll be there in spirit.
Here’s to restoring ESA protections for the Northern Rockies gray wolf. May they have a little peace in 2010 and beyond.
I don’t think Judge Molloy will rule from the bench, so his decision will probably come some time in late summer.
Boulder White Clouds Council
Exposing The Big Game
Footloose Montana
Friends of the Clearwater
Lockwood Animal Rescue Center
Louise du Toit
LUPUSLAETUS
Mercy For Animals
Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA)
Predator Friendly®- Because Wildlife Matters
Project Coyote
Project: Wolf
The Nature Conservancy
The Ravensong Group
WildEarth Guardians
Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife
Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
Wolf Song of Alaska
Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
WWP's Gray Wolf Page
Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative
Howling For Justice 
Here’s hoping that the deplorable behaviour of Montana and Idaho will not go unnoticed.
Also – isn’t it strange how Wyoming and Alaska has not seen any ‘publicity’ recently?
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Been waiting for this ruling from Molloy for some time now….hoping, hoping and hoping he puts them back. I fear the long wait and one hunt behind us he will have succumbed to the agribusiness influence. I hope that he will do the right thing for Montana’s wolves!
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Tracy I posted the lastest from the Missoulian. Looks good for wolves I think.
N.
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I will certainly be there in spirit Nabeki. I am disappointed that it will take so long for Judge Molloy to let us have his decision. Surely Earth Justice will have all the gruesome, horrific details of what has been happening to wolves to present to the judge. Sounds like Montana and Idaho are going the way of Alaska; to hell with the what the law is, we are going to do what we want to.
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When people hunt and kill for whatever, they have thats in their heart. If they can’t kill animals, and if it were legal to kill people, they would. They have that evil inside of them to watch something die and to know they had a part in it, makes them happy. I hope and pray that the judge will come to a decision to make it right for our wolves to have the right to life.
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Do not allow wolves of any state to be killed. Let nature be nature and take that coarse. It’s not up to man to override mother nature. The woves have just as much right to be here as we do.The killing of the wolf is for pleasure not because of life being threatened or property being destroyed.
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Everyone should watch this.
http://www.keci.com/Anti-wolf-website-angers-conservationists/7465687
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Jon..
Bridges wrote to this blog many times and I never posted any of his ramblings. He says he has reached out to conservation groups? Is he kidding? He was discussing killing wolves with Xylitol on his webiste, why would any wolf advocate want to talk to him? He’s getting plenty of publicity though and that’s what he wants.
N.
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Hi Nabeki. Do you think we will have any feedback at all today as to how it went? I can’t stand this!!
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Hi SoCalWolfGal,
I posted the update, after court was back in session. It looks good for wolves I believe. The USFWS knows you can’t delist one segment of a wolf population (Montana and Idaho) while the other remains protected by ESA (Wyoming). Wolves know no boundaries. I think we win this.
N.
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All I know from reading at another site that an earthjustice attorny fainted and a recess was called,and as usual,around 86 protesters are outside. I don’t think anyone that is pro-wolf showed up.I might be wrong.
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100 wolf haters showed up. It annoys me somewhat that not many wolf supporters showed up. I assume that they didn’t as I haven’t heard anything about how many wolf supporters were there. We need to start being proactive and attending these important events. If I lived in MT, I would certainly go and do my part in supporting of the wolves.
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Hi Jon,
I had every intention of being there but something came up that was beyond my control. It’s upsetting to see so many wolf haters with signs and very few wolf advocates. I think many wolf supporters don’t like confrontation and the haters can be very intimidating. It would have been great to see hundreds of wolf supporters though.
Now the person holding the fate of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies is Judge Molloy…I hope he doesn’t take too long to rule.
N.
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Jon………the anti-wolf people are more passionate about their cause. They are also very well organized and have a “straight-forward” agenda with a NO COMPROMISE” philosophy.
Pro-wolf “supporters”, and that’s a questionable characterization, just sit back fat, dumb, and happy thinking Molloy will save them.
Even the anti-wolfers are aware of the feeble response from those that supposedly want them relisted.
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It’s ok Nabeki. I believe you said you live in Colorado. I was talking about the wolf supporters who live near by Montana or in Montana. I am sure there are some. I don’t know if they don’t show up because they don’t want to be confronted by the wolf haters or not. I guess they have their reasons.
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Jon…I think the wolf movement is basically leaderless. There are many, many organizations at all different levels but nobody is really running the show. Therefore no rallies get organized, no speeches get written. It’s a shame because there is so much energy in this movement. I also believe wolf supporters are intimidated by the anti wolf crowd and don’t like showing up when they’re around. BUT it’s not just holding rallies or giving speeches. The state of Montana held many hearings over the past year that decided the fate of wolves. Only a very small group of two or three wolf supporters would show up, none of the large environmental groups had any kind of a presence. That’s where the real opportunity was lost.
N.
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Believe me, even though we are not living in the affected areas, you have the support of other Americans who believe the wolves must be protected. Here in Alabama I volunteer for the Defend the Wolves project headed by Jim Windwalker. I am new in providing legal advice to the organization, but I certainly know what is right and that is the wolves must be protected. If there is anything I can do to help in anyway including voluntary legal research etc., count me in!
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