Speak For Wolves: Reforming Wildlife Management in America – Part 2

Speak for Wolves is a project that aims to educate, inspire and organize citizens to work towards reforming wildlife management in America. Join fellow wildlife advocates on August 7-9 at the Union Pacific Dining Lodge in West Yellowstone, Montana for Speak for Wolves 2015.

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The second of the five keys to reforming wildlife management in America.

2. Remove Grazing From All Federal Public Lands

 Grazing is the most ecologically damaging form of land use in the arid America West. Research has proven that non-native livestock is responsible for soil compaction, destruction of wetlands and riparian zones, a decrease in water retention and aquifer recharge, soil erosion, flooding, a net-loss of biodiversity and large amounts of methane gas. Livestock grazing contributes to the spread of harmful invasive plant species, which greatly affects the West’s historic fire regime. To make matters worse, the American taxpayer heavily subsidizes destructive grazing practices every year to the tune of tens, if not, hundreds of millions of dollars. At the very least, the federal grazing fee ($1.69 cow/calf pair) must be substantially raised to recoup administrative costs, voluntary grazing retirement (grazing permits are bought out by conservation groups) needs to be enabled on all federal public lands, and Congress must cease the use of legislative riders to handicap the ability of federal agencies, and the public, to use our public land laws to asses the cumulative impacts of harmful grazing.

 

www.speakforwolves.org

 

Top photo: Courtesy Speak for Wolves

Bottom photo: Courtesy ODFW

Posted in: gray wolf, Biodiversity, Activism

Tags: Speak for Wolves, Reforming Wildlife Management, state fish and game agencies, gray wolf