I know everyone is devastated by the news and we need time to grieve and digest it. The only thing on my mind right now is that wolf-pupping season is upon us, with wolf babies being born into this nightmare.
I’m sure the wolf haters are celebrating their victory but we are not going to go away. We went through a terrible time in 2009 when the hunts were ongoing in Idaho and Montana. Not sure what direction we’re going to take but we are not giving up. Remember what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. This will make us stronger and more determined then ever to protect wolves.
Do not despair, in the coming days and weeks a plan will emerge for us to follow. In the meantime I’m urging everyone to write to the 81 Senators, who voted for the “wolf budget slaughter bill”. Let the Democrats know who voted for it we will not forget.
We’re all tired emotionally and physically but we fought the good fight, unfortunately we lost this round. But it’s not over.
Think of the of the wolves. Keep the faith.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Tracking science: Biologist’s findings show forest diversity, health influenced by wolves
http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/territory/article_3ec9fc54-c01f-11de-bf16-001cc4c002e0.html
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Photo: Courtesy kewlwallpapers.com
Posted in: Wolf Wars
Tags: wolf persecution, Tester wolf delisting rider, US Senate, 81 Senators votes yes, wolves in peril. wolf stripped of ESA protections
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 
They are not gonna be happy untill every predator is wiped off the face of this earth. I have written Mitch McConnel and Jon Tester and I couldn’t help but be less than cordial.
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U-NAY-WI….I don’t think Tester cares one bit about what he’s done in fact I think he’s proud of it because he thinks this will get him elected. Big miscalculation. His problem is he lives in a bubble and was only listening to he hunting and ranching lobbies, ignoring his other constituents. I think he will be defeated in 2012 and good riddance. Baucus and Rehberg aren’t any better. The entire situation stinks to high heaven.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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If they want every predator gone, they’ll have to kill themselves. Humans are the ultimate predator. Humans have no natural enemy species.
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So it is. Humans are the principal, the most cruel predators. They should be wiped out from this earth in order to these magnificent wolf nation like all other animal nations, my fellow creature, may live.
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I am almost done with my letter that is getting distributed to the entire legislature, and starting with Obama and Salazar. Any comments on this would be appreciated and gladly accepted. If I’m missing a point, or my facts aren’t correct, let me know… I plan on sending this out by Monday at the latest.
President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Salazar,
Let it be known, that on this day, April 14, 2011, a major travesty has taken place and will forever effect my confidence in this nation and its intentions towards the environment. I speak of the bill that just passed to fund the government, which by itself was necessary to continue funding the interests of this country, but also included something that had nothing to do with the budget at all. I refer to Title VII, Sec. 1713, pg. 290 of Making appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes.
The underhanded move by Sec. Tester and Rep. Simpson to add this language to a must pass legislation is against everything I thought this country was founded on. The fact that, for political, personal, or whatever their reason, the onslaught of hatred and outright discrimination of the grey wolf has caused this action, and is by far the most despicable and unforgivable abuse of power I have ever seen. The legal battle of the de-listing of the grey wolf has been playing out for a long time and has been ruled by a federal court. Federal Judge Donald Molloy has interpreted the law as it was written, keeping this species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The language of the ESA clearly states the use of proper current science to determine when a species is recovered. By their own admission, the powers that be have not conducted any 5 year surveys on the species, as required in the ESA, (Sec. 4, pg. 230 of Endangered Species Act of 1973) in the years since they were listed under the ESA and the science used to determine a viable genetic population is over a decade old.
Where is the science in hiding a bill rider to de-list a species? It has never been done before where our own congress has to debate about delisting any species and it is not their place to make that decision. This is, in my eyes, unlawful as it is written in the ESA. Federal Judge Donald Molloy had already determined that the original de-listing of the grey wolf in 2009 was against the law and was not acceptable. Then, after protections were restored to the grey wolf, two Governors defied federal law, telling officials in their states, to not investigate the poaching of a protected species. This being announced on many different forms of media throughout Montana and Idaho, with the intention of spurring on poachers because there will be no consequences if they happened to kill a grey wolf. After that media frenzy, they continue to push for the grey wolf to be removed from the ESA by writing bills for Congress to debate on, and each one has been rejected.
The amount of scientific study that shows how the gray wolf is benefiting the ecosystems in which they reside is a clear fact to the benefit of protecting the species across more states than just Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. With populations now being established in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and North Dakota, the need for protections is still needed. The ESA states that the species must be shown to be recovered across all or a significant portion of its original range to be considered recovered. The gray wolf had once roamed from coast to coast, from the arctic, all the way to what is now Mexico and beyond. So to state that the species is recovered is nothing more than a violation of the ESA. Any such delisting is required to be published, and the opportunity for public comment be given. Where is our comment period for a rider on a budget bill that removes the gray wolf from the ESA?
In addition to the removal of the gray wolf from the ESA, there is a stipulation that proclaims there can not be any judicial review of this determination or any chance or relisting the gray wolf, even if the population numbers decline below the proposed numbers of a viable population. The use of public and private funds used to restore this species will all be in vain if there is no chance of protections if their numbers were to fall again. This is totally unacceptable, and any bill on its own would never have passed with the votes needed in either the House or the Senate. This makes it even worse for the people who have worked for decades to restore this species, and the continued success of other species who may be determined to be “inconvenient” by our legislature.
The fact remains, that this travesty has already occurred, even though the best possible science is stating a total trophic recovery of the ecosystem in areas where the wolf has been present for the past decade or more. Yellowstone National Park is the best example of this fact when you look at the evidence of restored watersheds, healthier populations of undulates, and the return of many songbirds to the park. The gray wolf has a ripple effect on the whole environment since it is an apex predator. Wolves cull undulate populations of the sick and diseased, leaving the strongest and fittest animals to prosper. They also keep undulate populations from staying in one small area, preventing overgrazing, erosion of stream and river banks, and other damage to a portion of their range. Then once that area is no longer suited for undulates, they move on to another area and do the same damage. With the return of the gray wolf to YNP, the entire ecosystem has rebounded to a much healthier state. This is their role in the environment and since the eradication of gray wolves in the 1930s, the ecosystem has been in a steady state of decline.
This evidence alone should be enough to dictate the protections needed by the ESA to the still recovering populations. If you look at the facts instead of the negative rhetoric being used in the northwest against the gray wolf, then the choices should be clear to continue protecting the species as a whole. Even with the battles over the past few years, the negative comments and outright hatred of wolves has prevailed using scare tactics and misinformation for years. When our own elected officials distort the facts to push this issue even further, it undermines the entire system to protecting a species. We have all heard for months, even years, about the “devastation” to the undulate populations across the northwest, when in fact, according to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Idaho Fish and Game, the populations of elk alone are at or above the threshold of management numbers. Then take into account the livestock industry in the states, where they claim a decimation of their livestock numbers, when in fact, the numbers of depredations from gray wolves is less than the numbers of livestock losses to domesticated dogs. Black bears, grizzly bears, coyotes and cougars combined, take more livestock than gray wolves, yet they are the ones being singled out.
Another point that needs to be made is the fact that the science of the gray wolf is still being learned in the northwest. For almost 70 years there was no population of wolves in the greater northwest. During that time, undulate populations and other predators took over and the whole system in which they depended on had been out of sequence. To say we have the best possible science today is a far cry from the needed research and data needed to determine if the population is in fact recovered. It takes decades for certain species of plants and trees to grow to maturity and reproduce. The gray wolf keeps undulates moving to allow saplings to grow, which in turn provides habitat for other species like song birds. The birds in turn keep insect populations in balance, and could very well help to alleviate the problems of beetle damage to a major portion of the forests. Then in turn with the growth of the saplings, they provide even more shelter to squirrels who are the ones who distribute the tree nuts to other parts of the forest and improve the genetic variability to tree species. This in turn would help raptor populations by giving them a food source. The possibilities are endless when the ecosystem is full and intact, with proper balance created by none other than nature herself.
This addition to the must pass bill was a desperate ploy for both Sen. Tester and Rep. Simpson to push their personal agenda against the grey wolf. Like I stated before, I have never had less confidence in this country when this kind of action is taking place and nobody is doing anything to stop it. The only thing left to do is sit back and watch, as the people who pushed for this for so long get to watch the numbers of dead wolves across the northwest grow.
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Can’t wait until it’s finished, you’re doing an awesome job Terrence.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Kudos, Terrence. Blessings your way. Thank you for your voice.
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If you want I will add my signature to this letter, you know at care 2 you can make a petition at of this letter and have people sign it, people that feel the same way you do and it will have a bigger impact if you do it this way. Please consider it you are very good at putting letters together I wish I can say that for myself some people have it and some do not. If you do decide to make this letter into a petition please feel free to let me know so I can sign it also. you can contact me by replying to my reply. and if you do decide to do you should add the site to this website so others can know where to sign it if they so wish to do so. Just a little advice you do not have to do it if you don’t wish to but it will have a bigger impact if you do.
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I forgot to mention I was replying to Terrence.
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I would love to put this on Care 2
I know I’ve done some stuff with them I’ve never started my own petition… will give it a shot and if successful, I’ll throw the link here. Thanks for the great idea and helping to get this message out.
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Great job Terrence. Let us know if you put it up on Care2 NS I’ll post the link on the blog.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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I’ll sign too. Anything I can do….we must stick together. Remember the 10 groups who split and betrayed the wolves. It does not look good if you say one thing, and then do another.(Unless, of course you are Senator De-tesable,then you are a hero.)
If you really believe in something, then stand up and fight for it…defend it!
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Typo…make that Senator De-testable.
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I agree White Wolf…the “settlement” took the steam right out of the grass roots movement and showed the other side we were weak. It did nothing but further our quick defeat. The ten settling groups are not good chess players.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Here it is Congress just took the wolf off the endangered species list, this is terrible it will be not long until the wolf is extinct. Actually they probably figure now that the economy is bad that people would not notice it. Sadly the media gets into it. Like when they were busy reporting on Anna Nicole Smith’s death(example)
they were spending to much time on this and people did not know what really was going on in Government at the time. That goes to show you the media can not be trusted anymore. They something big to report and it is actually a cover up on what they and the Government do not want people to know. But there are some that report the truth like the Mrs. Jones Magazine.
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/u-s-congress-removes-wolves-from-endangered-species-list-a-legislative-first/
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Hi my name is Trent, I was cruising the sight trying to find answers to my questions. I try to be respectful of everyone’s opinions and understand everyone has a right to theirs. Let me start off by saying I am a hunter, I am not one of the lazy ones that are stereotyped I often backpack 10 miles into the wilderness to hunt. I love the wilderness. I also have not hunted with a high powered rifle in over 10 years, I enjoy the bow and arrow, I actually like to hunt not just shoot. I have had anti hunting friends in the past and enjoyed my discussions with them it hard for me to explain why I hunt I have tried to explain to my friends in the past. I partially believe modern man has lost who he truly is and I guess I try to get that back. I often day dream of quitting my job and living in the wilderness haha. Let me say also that I do not want the wolf eradicated. I believe it has a right to be here. I would love to see one on one of my many trips to the wilderness.
Now saying that, I truly believe in todays day and age even if every state adopted Wyoming wolf management plan the wolf will never be gone, and anyone who believe it would be does not give this animal the respect it deserves, it Is way to cunning of an animal to be wiped out again with the laws we now have. This is what has turned me off toward the pro wolf groups, why are we using tax payers money in all these lawsuits to fight for a animal to be on the endangered species list that is no longer endangered? I know we will never do away with wolves again. But understand hunting will not go away either. I just wish all of this money was going towards an animal that truly needs the help.
Again I’m not trying to be a negative person, but just trying to understand other people with different backgrounds. You all have a good day.
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Trent, If what you say is true, then you are not the problem. I respect a TRUE hunter’s right to hunt, as long as they respect the animal and use every part.
The wolf may be cunning, yet historically, he has been the most vulnerable to the darkst urges of human nature. People see the wolf as a symbol and they strike out against him. Barry Lopez states that we treat wolves differently than other predators. “ But the wolf is fundamentally different because the history of killing wolves shows far less restraint and far more perversity. A lot of people didn’t just kill wolves they tortured them. They set wolves on fire and tore their jaws out and cut their Achilles tendons and turned dogs loose on them. They poisoned them with strychnine, arsenic, and cyanide, on such a scale that millions of other animals were killed in the process.”
Obviously, we are trying to silence something more than merely an animal whenever we allow this darker side of human nature to speak. This is our greatest concern.
I don’t know where you are from, but please do whatever you can from your vantage point to encourage others to be respectful of nature and also use fair and humane hunting practices and wolf management plans. No predator derbies!
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The wolf will always be endangered if there is a persistent, reckless concern for his survival.
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Truer words were never spoken Wild Wolf.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Hi Trent. I’m afraid you are underestimating the animosity that people in the Northern Rockies have toward the wolf. Clever though wolves may be, they are no match for humans with their guns, bait, calls, traps, and other tricks. They were exterminated in the lower 48 once, and there are people out there who despise wolves so much that I bet they are chomping at the bit to do it again. They will seek wolves out and kill as many as they are allowed. Maybe if they are allowed to have wolf hunts for a couple of years, they will get it out of their system, but I don’t know that for certain. It seems like a slim chance to gamble the future of a species on. And even assuming the wolves survive in the face of this onslaught of hatred, I doubt they’ll thrive. Their genetic diversity will be damaged and their packs/social structure will be broken up and thrown into chaos. Instead of a healthy population, we’ll be left with a few token wolves that may not be genetically healthy, and won’t be present in large enough numbers to exert the desired effect on the ecosystem. It is unprecedented for a barely recovered species that has just come off the ESA to be hunted to the extent that Montana and Idaho are proposing.
In any case, there’s a larger point that you’re missing. It isn’t just wolves as a species that matter; individuals matter too. I’m okay with people who responsibly hunt for their food, but I am not okay with people killing predator species like wolves, whether they are endangered or not. I don’t think there is any justification for it; it comes down to taking away an animal’s very life for the sake of amusement or money. As a result, I want wolves to stay on the ESA as long as there is even a small reason to keep them there; and once there is no longer any justification for keeping them on the ESA, I want to see them protected by some other law. Killing a domestic dog can be considered animal cruelty, and in my opinion the same should be true for a wolf. In terms of their worth and sentience, they are equal to dogs and deserve all the same protections.
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CaptainSakonna, eloquently stated,you support our concerns very well. And I totally agree. I am also glad to have Trent’s input.
If we are going to work this out,then we all need to keep an open mind ( on both sides)and at least hear people who, like Trent, present their views in a reasonable and respectful way. We must be able to communicate to one another our different points of view. Sadly,the wolf is caught up within this great chasm that divides us.
This is by no means saying that we do not continue to stand up for what we believe in, or that we are backing down, it is also very important to make the attempt to see another’s perspective.
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This sharing of opinions and concerns is the best place where we can begin to find our common ground.
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Terrence,
This is a great letter that pulls together the key points and the facts. It would work well as a petition. I wonder if there is a way to tract the number signing in support of wolves over the past 2 weeks. How many of us did they not choose not to listen to?
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Terrence, way to go,can I sighn it?
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Well…((sigh)) My whole life is wolves…since I was 7yrs old…my 9yr old daughter…her life as well…she cried when she heard this…as like me…she wants to make her life like mine…working with and studying wolves…she’s young but she fully understands what’s going on. She, as well, understands how important they are and that this is some back door, shady business….illegal…AND SHE’S 9!!!
And it’s awesome ((sarcasm)) that I live in Illinois…one of the states that voted for this. And we are just now seeing wolves knocking on our doors. What waits for them?
But guess what…this has all but riled me up…and I’m already planning what to send to my senator, and the other 80 that caused this bend…this break…this fail in our system.
They think they can just pass this and move on and then not see the carnage from it?
Wrong!
So who’s with me??!!
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Fenris, I am with you. But we must do more than merely write letters. We need to show our faces and share our physical presence. Our system has been broken for some time, political vanity is a cruel master. What exactly does America stand for anymore…Tester has proclaimed from the mountain top that he used Montana values to solve this problem. Let’s think on this for a minute…what exactly does this mean, if he basically cheated..?
Politicians have shown their true colors and they are not red, white and blue. Shame on them all, makes you wonder what other deceits await by rider…? The disquieting fact is that both parties are capable of this kind of misdeed, and are in a race to the bottom just to show their own importance.
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Oh believe me….writing letters isn’t even going to be the start of it.
Seriously, this makes me sick.
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Fenris…..One good thing has come out of this horror, it’s galvanized the grass roots wolf movement!!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Bravo Nabeki!! we can lose many battles , but still win the war!! it will be won!!!This is now on Care2 and in a few minutes will be on Facebook and Twitter. Much Love Peace and Respect to you all, who not only care, but act; you are awesome. Rosi Caswell Animal Whisperer
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Thank you Rosi. I’m the eternal optimist. What’s the saying? “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”….Winston Churchill
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Nabeki, I sent you a few emails….please check them out when chance allows.
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No matter what people say and do it is as GOD WILLS IT!!!
And if GOD does not like something he will make it be known!!
Remeber we are living on a melting pot, the core of the planet is as hot as the sun and who is protecting us is God!!!
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I am tired to day ,but with a tired mind,I still say that Tester’s rider with the’no judical review” is against the first admendment I have the right to petitiion.Two other states put laws that to said,”no judical review recently.I will have to find them on the internet;one was against aborton unless the woman’s life was threatened and the other on=line gambling.I wish I knew a lawyer.It is alarming that no one sees the danger in putting something on a bill that prevents us to go through the judical system.I should have the right to queston what is going on in the backroom with these deals. .
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Rita…you have been such a loyal and staunch supporter of wolves and this blog from the very beginning, you don’t know how much I value your friendship. Thank you!!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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I forgot to put this on my last post [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amendments_to_the_United_States_Constitution ]
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Sorry for the above post,but on the first amendment “the right to petition’ It has been a rough week for all of us.
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