Why The Heck Was Anyone Celebrating the Endangered Species Act Day??

It boggles the mind. Wolves were sold out for votes. The ESA was recently gutted by Congress when 81 Senators voted to delist wolves in a  BUDGET BILL, which Obama signed into law.  Yet on May 20th we witnessed celebrations of the Endangered Species Act Day?

HUH?

Wolves are facing two wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies. High powered rifles, archery, baiting, calling, steel leg-hold traps and snares are just some of the tortures awaiting them and we’re supposed to be celebrating ESA day? Is this a joke?

There is NOTHING to celebrate. One of the greatest pieces of environmental  legislation ever written, tailor-made to protect a persecuted species like the wolf,  was weakened by political games and maneuvering.  Congress didn’t do what it should have done, remove the wolf delisting rider from the budget bill, where it should NOT have been in the first place.

Here’s a quote from Senator Baucus (D-MT), one of the supporters of the wolf delisting rider, speaking about convincing other Democrat Senators to vote for it.

“It was a little hard persuading Sen. Boxer and Sen. Cardin that we’re not gutting the Endangered Species Act,” Baucus said in an interview. “They don’t have the same understanding of the wolf problem that we have.”

Pretty shameful!

The very Senators who voted to delist wolves in a budget bill and in turn WEAKEN the ESA, were celebrating the Endangered Species Act Day. That, dear readers, is the ultimate in hypocrisy. I guess they think the American people are blind, stupid or both?

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How Democrats Gutted The ESA And Sold Wolves Down The River

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The 112th Congress will be remembered for two things. Selling out wolves for votes and gutting the ESA. This legacy will follow them throughout history. I hope they enjoy the notoriety.

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April 14, 2o11

How federal budget-makers cut wolves from the endangered-species list

After years of legal wrangling over the issue, why was Congress able to take such swift and irrevocable action, all within the framework of a budget deal?

By Daniel Jack Chasan

The last-minute budget deal that Democrats and Republicans worked out last Friday night may be, as President Obama said, “historic” for more reasons than one. Language in the legislation that may keep the federal government afloat “basically overturns the moral imperative that drove the passage of the Endangered Species Act,” says Doug Honnold, managing attorney of Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies office.

Read More: http://crosscut.com/2011/04/14/animals-wildlife/20817/How-federal-budget-makers-cut-wolves-from-the-endangered-species-list/

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Top photo: Courtesy All About Wolves

Bottom Photo: kewlwallpaper

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: Assault on the ESA, hypocrisy, US Senate, ESA day not a day to celebrate, wolves politically delisted, Northern Rockies gray wolf

ACTION ALERT: HOWL AGAINST Simpson’s Sneak Ax Attack on Wolves & the ESA

SAVE ME! Salmon River wolf

Copyright Lynne K Stone 2008

Dear Friends,

Wolves need our help once again. The U.S. House “Continuing Resolution” budget bill goes to the U.S. Senate on Monday, Feb 28th.

Please pick up the phone and call the Senators (list below) TODAY, THIS WEEKEND, MONDAY, TUESDAY, or whenever you can … . Please speak up for wolves.

Buried deep in the bill is Section 1713, that forever would strip wolves of any federal protection in Idaho, Montana and parts of Oregon, Utah and Washington. This sneaky maneuver put forth by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson doesn’t even mention the word “wolf” or Endangered Species Act. Guess he thought no one would notice.

While there are dozens of terrible provisions in the House “Continuing Resolution” budget, this ALERT focuses on Section 1713 – Simpson’s ax attack on wolves and the Endangered Species Act. I urge you to call members of the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works where the House budget will be debated starting March 1, Tuesday. Ask the Senators to remove Section 1713.

This committee is chaired by Barbara Boxer (D-CA). She is waffling on her support of wolves, apparently because she doesn’t want to upset Democratic Senators from Montana. Idaho’s Senator Mike Crapo is a minority member of this committee – he’s not a friend of wolves, either, but he still needs to hear from us.

Thank you,

Lynne

Lynne K Stone, Director

Boulder-White Clouds Council

Box 6313

Ketchum ID 83340

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TAKE ACTION

FOCUS ON CALLING MAJORITY SENATORS – AS MANY AS YOU CAN. YOU’LL HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE. IF YOU LIVE IN ANOTHER STATE, PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS, ESP IF ONE IS ON THIS COMMITTEE. If you would rather send an e-mail, go to the Senator’s website and write your comments.

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Suggestions on what to say:

– Calling regards to the House budget bill.

– Urge that the Senate remove Section 1713 – Rep Mike Simpson’s attack on wolves and the ESA. As an Idaho resident he does not speak for me.

– Section 1713 would strip wolves in Idaho & Montana of all their protection and hundreds of wolves will be killed.

– I like wolves and want them protected.

– The budget bill is no place to legislate the fate of wolves or any Endangered Species.

–

Capital Switchboard Numbers – give the name of the Senator & you will be transfered to their office. You will then either speak to a staff member, or on the weekend – to voice mail.

1,866.220.0044

1.877.851.6437

1.800.833.6354

Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works

Majority Members (10)

*ESPECIALLY CALL THESE SENATORS

Chair Barbara Boxer, CA*

Max Baucus, MT

Thomas Carper, DE

Frank Lautenberg, NJ

Benjamin Cardin, MD*

Bernie Sanders, VT

Sheldon Whitehouse, RI

Tom Udall, NM*

Jeff Merkley, OR*

Kristen Gillibrand, NY

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Minority Members (8) (Republicans)

James Inhofe, OK

David Vitter, LA

John Barrasso, WY

Jeff Sessions, AL

Mike Crapo, ID*

Lamar Alexander, TN

Mike Johanns, NB

John Boozman, ARK

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House Republicans Move against Wolves

Friday, February 25, 2011

Buried inside a U.S. House budget bill to keep the federal government operating past March is a controversial provision that would remove the endangered species classification for wolves in the Rocky Mountains.

Pushed by Republicans, the plan would allow the wolf population to be reduced to only 300 in the Northern Rockies, an area covering Idaho, Montana and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Currently, about 1,700 wolves roam the region, meaning the legislation would allow for the slaughter of 82% of the animals.

Andrew Wetzler at the Natural Resources Defense Council insists 300 wolves is not a sufficient number for the long-term survival of the species, which nearly went extinct in the 20th century.

Twice before, lawmakers tried to end the wolves’ endangered species designation, only to have a federal judge intervene. The new attempt includes language designed to prevent the courts from getting in the way, by stating the rule “shall not be subject to judicial review.”

Wolves would still be protected in Wyoming, the southwestern desert and the upper Great Lakes.

Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), chair of the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Interior Department, speaking on behalf of ranchers, justified the renewed killing of wolves. “Not only do wolf populations far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management those populations have grown to the point where they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and wreaking havoc for ranchers, hunters, and public land users in Idaho,” he said in a statement.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO ARTICLE

Top Photo: Courtesy Lynne Stone Copyright 2008

Bottom Photo: Courtesy fanpop

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Endangered Species Act

Tags: Assault on the ESA, Assault on gray wolves, Mike Simpson, Section 1713, bad wolf delisting bill,

EMERGENCY ACTION: Stand Up For Wolves Now!! Time is Short!! Call Your US Senators!!

This is just part of what’s  in store for wolves if they are delisted without judicial review. Idaho was considering trapping, calling and baiting wolves for their upcoming 2010 wolf hunt, before it was cancelled,

February 24, 2011

I will update this post daily but I want to keep it on the front burner. There is no other issue to talk about. This is the fight we have to win to save the Northern Rockies  gray wolf. We are their only hope for survival.  If the anti-wolf provision, 1713, is not stripped out of the final budget bill gray wolves will be doomed in the Northern Rockies.

Remember, wolves were delisted by the Obama administration in April 2009, by September 09 Montana and Idaho had wolf hunts in place. The haters are itching to get their Remingtons out and start blasting. We could lose everything we’ve worked for the last fifteen years. Wolves cannot survive in this environment without the protection of the ESA. Please convey to the Senators the hate that is being spewed against wolves in the Northern Rockies. The lies and half-truths that are spread. This is all out war on an animal that was exterminated once in the West.  We can’t let them slip away again without a fight!!

Please continue to call and write your Senators. After you do that,  contact the Senators I’ve listed that would be most influential in stopping this horrible provision from becoming law.  Then finish calling, emailing or faxing the rest of the US Senate. I know it’s a tall order but if we don’t do this we’ll lose this iconic animal forever in the Rockies.

The Senate needs to hear from the American people. We do not want a politician from Idaho sneaking an anti-wolf provision into a budget bill. They can’t win in the courts so they’re mounting a legislative sneak attack. The haters want to dismantle the ESA and strip gray wolves of their protections. Make no mistake, if this happens wolves will die.

Please continue to fight for wolves and the ESA. We need everyone that can pick up a phone and dial or write an email. I will keep you updated on this fight. We don’t have much time.  Scroll down this post for Senate contacts.

We stand as one united for the gray wolf. We can’t let them down.

For the wolves, For the wild ones,

Nabeki

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February 23, 2011

This is where the rubber meets the road Wolf Warriors.  The House budget bill, passed on February 19, 2011, has been sent to the Senate, It has a sleazy trick included in it. Rep.Mike Simpson (R-ID) attached anti-wolf delisting language (section 1713) to this must pass budget bill, which funds the government. It states:

Section 1713

“Sec. 1713. Before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this division, the Secretary of the Interior shall reissue the final rule published on April 2, 2009 (74 Fed. Reg. 15123 et seq.) without regard to any other provision of statute or regulation that applies to issuance of such rule. Such reissuance (including this section) shall not be subject to judicial review.”

What in the world do wolves have to do with the federal budget? Absolutely nothing but Section 1713 is buried deep in the text of the bill. Maybe Simpson was hoping nobody would notice? By the amount of coverage this deeply destructive provision has gotten, maybe he’s right. Where were the wolf advocates in the House of Representatives on Saturday? The bill passed with section 1713 intact.

Of course the budget has nothing to do with wolves but this is the only way the haters can destroy wolves and the ESA, by sneak attack.  Now that the  damage has been done in the House, this horrible budget bill has been sent to the Senate for debate and passage. If section 1713, which would delist Northern Rockies wolves in Montana, Idaho, Eastern Oregon, Washington and parts of Utah, is not stripped out of the final budget bill, wolves are finished in the Northern Rockies. They could be subjected to mass slaughter by the states, which would only have to maintain a population of 300 wolves. There are 1700 wolves roaming the Northern Rockies, this could mean the demise of over 80% of this population.

The Senate will begin deliberations on this bad bill on February 28, 2011.  It must be passed by March 4, 2011, that’s just 7 business days away.  But Congress is considering a two week extension:

“Fearing shutdown, GOP considering deal with Dems to fund government for two more weeks“

But that’s not a done deal, so we have to operate on the premise that the bill will be voted on and ready for President Obama to sign by March 4, 2011,  to avoid a government shutdown. As it stands now we have barely a week to turn this around. Just one week people!! Please get busy calling Senators.

This would be the first time the ESA has been tampered with in this way. If wolves lose their protections because of political expediency, then no endangered animal is safe. This would set a very dangerous precedent. Are grizzly bears next?

Politicians have no business meddling in science. The Endangered Species Act is tailor-made for a species like the wolf who has been subjected to one of the most vicious campaigns of half-truths and persecution I’ve ever witnessed. All this has been done to please the powerful hunting and ranching lobbies.

This is it wolf advocates. We need to make a lot of noise. This not the time to be silent or meek. If you care about wolves, please call every single US  Senator to voice your total and complete outrage at what is happening to wolves and the ESA. I will NEVER in my lifetime vote for another Democrat if they allow wolves to slip away, after over fifteen years of hard work and care to bring them back from the brink.

We have to speak out.

Keep calling, faxing and writing emails. Keep the capital switchboard busy. We cannot allow politicians to run an end round the ESA and destroy wolves in the Northern Rockies, with no judicial review.

Capital Switchboard Numbers:

1-866-220-0044
1-877-851-6437
1-800-833-6354

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Key Senators To Contact:

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Bennet, Michael F. – (D – CO) Class III
(202) 224-5852
Fax: (202) 228-5036
Web Form: bennet.senate.gov/contact/ 

Boxer, Barbara – (D – CA)
(202) 224-3553
Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/

Bingaman, Jeff – (D – NM)
(202) 224-5521
Web Form: bingaman.senate.gov/contact/
Email: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Cardin, Benjamin L. – (D – MD)
(202) 224-4524
Fax 202-224-1651
Web Form: cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Gillibrand, Kirsten E. – (D – NY)
(202) 224-4451
Fax (212) 688-7444
Web Form: gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

Kerry, John F. – (D – MA)
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/contact/

Lugar, Richard G. – (R – IN)
(202) 224-4814
Web Form: lugar.senate.gov/contact/

Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR)
(202) 224-3753
Fax: (202) 228-3997
Web Form: merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Murray, Patty – (D – WA)
(202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Reed, Jack – (D – RI)
(202) 224-4642
Fax 401- 464-6837
Web Form: reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm

Reid, Harry – (D – NV)
(202) 224-3542
Fax 202-224-7327
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Schumer, Charles E. – (D – NY)
(202) 224-6542
Fax 202-228-3027
Web Form: schumer.senate.gov/new_website/contact.cfm

Udall, Mark – (D – CO)
(202) 224-5941
Fax 202-224-6471
Web Form: CLICK HERE

Udall, Tom – (D – NM)
(202) 224-6621
Web Form: CLICK HERE

Whitehouse, Sheldon – (D-RI)
(202) 224-2921
Fax 202-228-6362
Web Form: whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

The Whitehouse
www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461

If you live in Montana, please contact
Tester, Jon – (D-MT)
(202) 224-2644
Web Form: tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm

 

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LIST OF ALL US SENATORS CLICK HERE

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Here’s a pre-written letter for you to send. You can also use it for talking points when contacting Senators.

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Dear Senator —
As a wildlife conservation advocate, I am deeply disturbed by Section 1713 (p. 266) of the House’s Continuing Resolution – 2011 which was passed on Feb. 19, 2011. This… section states, “Before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this division, the Secretary of the Interior shall reissue the final rule published on April 2, 2009 (74 Fed. Reg. 15123 et seq.) without regard to any other provision of statute or regulation that applies to issuance of such rule. Such reissuance (including this section) shall not be subject to judicial review.”

Please be advised that I vehemently oppose this section of the House’s version of the Appropriations bill. Buried deep within the text of the bill, it covertly voids US District Judge Donald Molloy’s ruling that returned wolves on the Endangered Species List as of August, 2010. In addition, Sec. 1713 seemingly precludes judicial review of any decisions related to de-listing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List in the future.

It’s not the role of Congress to decide which species should or should not receive protection from the ESA. The ESA is one of our most respected environmental laws. Its power lies in the independent, scientific consultation at its heart. In fact, Congress has never successfully legislated a species-specific decision under the ESA. Wolves should not be the first. That is a decision that should be made by independent science. The ESA, and issues related to wolf restoration, requires clear thinking, strategic planning and science-based decision-making. To legislate such a decision would weaken the Act and set a dangerous precedent that could lead to more native fish, wildlife, and plants being wrongly stripped of protection.

Respectfully submitted,
Sign your name

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From Defenders of Wildlife:

Section 1713…..”effectively boots the Northern Rockies gray wolf off the list of endangered wildlife, leaving them at the mercy of states poised to undertake massive wolf killing programs. In all, the bill reads like an anti-environmental lobbyist’s ‘wish list’ – one that when enacted would leave the American people to pay the price with their health, welfare and natural heritage.”

PLEASE TAKE ACTION FOR WOLVES, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, AND ALL WILDLIFE
If Northern Rockies gray wolves can be taken off the endangered species list through an act of Congress, so can Mexican gray wolves, and so can any species of wildlife that becomes politically inconvenient to special interests. This is an outrageous precedent that will have devastating impacts to wildlife. Please contact your Senator today and ask them to oppose any Continuing Resolution Bill that contains language to reduce protections or funding for wolves.”

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Andrew Wetzler’s Blog

Republican Budget to Wolves: Drop Dead

Posted February 12, 2011

“Last night the Republican controlled House Rules Committee released a “continuing resolution” to fund the federal government past March.  As I thought, the bill contains cuts to funding for endangered species (for those of you following at home, see section 1704).  But it goes far beyond that.

The Committee has decreed, without a hearing and in defiance of the best and most up-to-date science, that wolves will lose all of their Endangered Species Act protection in Idaho, Montana, and parts of Washington, Oregon, and Utah (section 1713). The bill reinstates a plan that would legally allow states to kill all but 300 wolves in the Northern Rockies, a number that is not sufficient to sustain wolves over the long term. More than 1,700 wolves now roam the Northern Rockies.  That means those who support this provision are content to see as much as 82% of the population wiped out.

How is this possibly related to the budget of the United States of America?  When the Republican Party swept to power last November the repeatedly promised a new day–a day in which, among other things, budget bills would no longer contain extraneous policy provisions inserted to avoid the normal legislative process.  In their words: “We will end the practice of packaging unpopular bills with ‘must-pass’ legislation to circumvent the will of the American people. Instead, we will advance major legislation one issue at a time.” It looks like that new day doesn’t include wolves.

We need to fight this provision.  Stand up and be counted here.“

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Please pass this on to everyone you know. Contact newspapers, radio stations any one that can help. Wolves are going to die in huge numbers if we don’t stand together.

STAND UP FOR WOLVES NOW!!!

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Wolves in the crosshairs once again: Politicians attempt to sidestep the Endangered Species Act

Attempts to fast track delisting wolves crosses party lines and ignores science

Published on February 21, 2011

Once again Northern Rocky Mountain wolves find themselves the hapless target of ranchers and politicians, including Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who ignore science and the need to place these magnificent animals back on the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This latest essay about the plight of wolves begins with a hunter shamelessly calling in a female wolf using his hunter’s call resembling a coyote in distress, who he then dispassionately shoots and kills. To quote this brave man: “‘You don’t have a lot of time to think,'” says [Robert] Millage, an estate agent in Kamiah, Idaho. … ‘She went down in her in her tracks …'” As is often the case when media wants to attract attention to a non-problem, and make a mountain out of a molehill, they resort to sensationalism and hype.  

To read the rest of the article CLICK HERE

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: Dirty tricks, Section 1713, House of Representatives, Senate, Mike Simpson, Assault on the ESA, Assault on wolves

ACTION ALERT FROM AGRO….STAND UP FOR WOLVES!!

Thanks to WildEarth Guardians and Wendy Keefover-Ring for allowing me to post the AGRO (A Coalition To End Aerial Gunning of Wildlife) alert.

This alert reminds people the battle to strip gray wolves of their ESA protections is still looming.

Wolves won’t be safe until this lame-duck Congress adjourns. When the new Congress is sworn in next month, the fight to save wolves will begin all over again. Wolves cannot lose this battle. Please stay vigilant!!

Again, thanks to WildEarth Guardians and Agro for all they do for wolves and other wildlife!!

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A Coalition To End Aerial Gunning of Wildlife

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Stand Up for Wolves

The media reported this week that Interior Secretary Salazar is taking a sledgehammer to the Endangered Species Act and wolf recovery efforts, vowing to support federal legislation to strip wolves in the Northern Rockies of ESA protections. He also plans to eliminate safeguards for grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

With this move, Salazar is surpassing James Watt, Gale Norton, and Dirk Kempthorne as the worst Secretary of Interior.  Ever.

Tell President Obama to stand up for wolves, grizzly bears, science, and the rule of law.

Mr. Salazar has lost court cases over wolves and grizzly bears and is now willing to play dirty tricks to get his way.

Mr. Salazar is ignoring federal court rulings that order him not to substitute politics for science. He is forgetting – or exposing as fraud – his pledge to scientific rigor and house-cleaning at Interior.

The tragedy here is that the nation’s foremost protector of endangered species, the Interior Secretary, is choosing instead to cater to the likes of Governor Butch Otter of Idaho, an infamous wolf-hater.

It’s worse, though, as legislative stripping away of federal protection for wolves and grizzlies in the Northern Rockies would be a blow not only for these important apex carnivores, it would set a dangerous precedent for wolves and grizzlies elsewhere – and any other animal considered “inconvenient.” It would also undermine the Endangered Species Act’s very foundation.

President Obama must act.

We can’t overstate how bad this legislation – and administrative support of it – would be. Not even the trio of previous anti-nature Interior Secretaries have gone this far.  Never before has Congress enacted an amendment to the Endangered Species Act stripping a single species of federal protection.

In addition to Obama, your U.S. federal legislators also need to oppose legislation that removes necessary safeguards to protect our wildlife.

The Endangered Species Act is supposed to safeguard species based on biological need, not political favor. Every day WildEarth Guardians sees the wisdom in this firewall, as the most endangered types of wildlife are often the most persecuted. The list of animals reviled by ranchers and extreme hunting groups is long: wolves and grizzlies would soon be joined by prairie dogs, kangaroo rats, massasauga rattlesnakes, and carnivores of all stripes.

Tell President Obama that he must stand up for wolves, grizzlies, and the Endangered Species Act. His administration must not back efforts for a legislative end-run of the courts. Rather, his Interior Secretary should focus on coming into compliance with the law, in defense of endangered species.

P.S. United States legislators generally only accept emails from their constituents.  To send an email to your Senators and  Representatives  click here.

 http://goagro.org/

 

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Photo: Courtesy First People

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Endangered Species Act

Tags:  WildEarth Guardians, AGRO, gray wolves, Assault on the ESA, Ken Salazar, Butch Otter,  scapegoating wolves

RED ALERT: From The Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA)

I’m re-posting the NIWA ALERT because Howling For Justice is part of the newly formed coalition between pro-wolf groups to prevent any meddling or weakening of the ESA.   

Gray wolves are still in danger of losing their ESA protections. This is a grave threat, not only for wolves but for any species protected under the ESA.

We must remain vigilant until this Congress convenes. Then it will start all over again in January with the new Congress, unfortunately.

NIWA website: http://www.niwa.us/

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RED ALERT: From The Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance

A few days ago, Interior Salazar Secretary assured 3 western governors that the Obama administration would help get the bills passed in the next two weeks.

This bill would circumvent the Endangered Species Act (ESA), & remove wolves from it’s protection.It would set a dangerous precedent, by, for the first time, removing an animal from the ESL for political, not scientific reasons. No animal that hunters, ranchers and anti-wildlife forces dislike would ever be safe again.The immediate consequences would be wolf-hunting seasons in Idaho, Montana, & Wyoming, as well as wolf exterminations by the US Wildlife Service.

Almost half of the wolves recently brought back from extinction would be killed, thus reducing them to a remnant, token population, unable to fulfill their biological role in our forests and subjecting them to their possible second extinction. 

We are asking you to take 3 actions:

1. Contact pro-environmental Congressmen on the House Committee on Natural Resources, listed below, and ask them to oppose this legislation.

2. Forward it to people who care about wolves.

3. Network with local pro-wildlife organizations & ask them to get on board in this effort (big ones like Defenders of Wildlife, NRDC, etc are already working on it)

Here are important talking points:

• Rather than decimating livestock, wolves are responsible for less than 1% of depredation.

• Rather than reducing elk populations, elk numbers have increased since wolf re-introduction to over one million in the Northern Rockies.

• Scientific studies show that wolves have positive effects on forest health.

• This bill would set a dangerous precedent, subjecting other species in the future to political rather than scientific scrutiny to delist them.Thank you for your efforts. Together, we can successfully defend the wolves.

Nancy Taylor, Co-Chair

Ann Sydow, Co-Chair & Newsletter Editor

Ken Fischman, Vice-Chair

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You can:

(1) Call,

(2) FAX, or

(3) click on the Representatives’ email

Committee on Natural Resources:

Rahall, Nick – (D – WV), Chair
(304) 522 6425 Huntington office
(304) 529 5716 fax
eMail –http://www.rahall.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=91&sectiontree=91

Hinchey, Maurice – (D – NY)
(845) 331 4466 Kingston office
(202) 226 0774 fax

DeFazio, Peter – (D – OR)
(541) 465 6732 Eugene office
(541) 465 6458 fax
eMail – https://forms.house.gov/defazio/IMA/contact.html

Grijalva, Raul M. – (D – AZ)
(520) 622 6788 Tucson office
(520) 622 0198 fax
eMail – http://grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&sectiontree=2%2C49

Miller, George – (D- CA)
(925) 602 1880 Concord office
(925) 674 0983 fax
eMail – https://georgemiller.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml

Committee on Natural Resources, Sub-Committee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife

Bordallo, Madeleine Z. (D – Guam), Chair
(202) 225 1188 Washington, D.C. office
(202) 226 0341 fax
eMail – http://www.house.gov/bordallo/contact.shtml

 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Action Alerts

Tags: NIWA, Assault on the ESA, gray wolf, take action

Keep Dialing For Wolves….

I’m going to keep reposting this to remind people we have to continue to call Congress, Salazar and the President in defense of wolves and the ESA. The Congress will be in session right up to the Christmas holiday. Any and all dirty tricks could be used to strip wolves of their protections. We must be vigilant!!

Capital Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 or (202) 225-3121

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Contact the White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Our message should ring loud and clear. No meddling with the ESA. No tampering with the ESA.  Remind your Senators and Representatives you will never vote for anyone that has a hand in ruining one of the most important pieces of  environmental legislation ever drafted. Our wildlife is a precious resource, it’s not there to be manipulated for hunters, outfitters, ranchers or any other special interest groups. Remind them there are 72 million wildlife watchers and just 12 million hunters. WE ARE THE MAJORITY!

Talking points:

1. Wolf depredation on livestock is a red herring.

Wolves were responsible for just 97 cattle losses in Montana in 2009 out of 2.6 million cattle. The main cause of cow deaths are disease, weather, theft and reproductive issues. Coyotes are the primary cattle predator but all predation is low compared to non-predation. Most ranchers in the Northern Rockies do not practice sound animal husbandry practices and rely on Wildlife Services to kill predators for them.

2. Wolves need the protection of the ESA.

Could it be any plainer, when so many special interest groups are clamoring for wolves’ blood? Their hysterical claims are not backed by science but myth and innuendo. Wolves are the ultimate scapegoats.

3. Wolves are apex predators vital to our ecosystem.

They influence forest health by decreasing ungulate browsing pressure. Wolf kills provide food for many other species. Wolves are the best friend of pronghorn antelope fawns, because wolves control the coyote population, who feed on the fawns. Wolves keep ungulate herds healthy by culling the weak, sick and old.

4. Wolves were exterminated in the West once before.

The very people who want to strip gray wolves of their ESA protections are mimicking the attitudes that existed one hundred years ago. Wolves could be exterminated once again if they are not protected under the ESA.  

Wolves are a natural part of our ecosystem, not varmints to be shot for blood sport.

5. Wolves are not killing all the elk in the Northern Rockies.

The elk population in Montana stands at 150,000, Idaho 101,000 and Wyoming 120,000  That’s 371,000 elk in the tri-state region. More than enough elk, probably too many elk, since fish and game agencies favor high ungulate numbers to please their customers, the hunters.  Wolves, bears, mountain lions and other predators are considered a nuisance and their numbers are controlled. I hate to break it to hunters but elk and deer do not belong to you.

Wolves hunt to survive, they must hunt or they will die. Wolves have a very poor hunting success ratio, just one in ten hunts is successful.

6. Wolves are the least dangerous of all large North American carnivores.

They are shy and will stay as far away from people as they can. Deer kill many more people in car accidents every year, in this country, than wolves have in a century. 

7. The assault on wolves is politically driven, not based on science.

Since the Obama administration delisted wolves in the Spring of 2009, the anti-wolf forces have banded together to demonize wolves by spreading myth and rumor.

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Some of the Congressional aides who will be taking your calls may not be up to speed on the wolf issue. Be polite but set them straight.

Lets keep this going. We cannot allow them to gut the ESA for the benefit of a loud, tiny minority of wolf haters.

For the wolves, For the wild ones,

Nabeki

Posted in Wolf Wars:

Tags: assault on the esa, gray wolves in danger, anti-wolf bill, call congress

Fair and Balanced? Look Who’s Coming To The Anti-Wolf Party!

 

Look at the line up of Montana Representative Rehberg’s “listening sessions” on wolves, being held in Dillon, Hamilton and Kalispell, Montana on October 5th and 6th. 

 

Rehberg drafted an anti-wolf bill that would strip gray wolves of their ESA protections. His bill mirrors another anti-wolf bill introduced by Montana Senators Baucus and Tester. Wolves are being used as political footballs by politicians posturing to their base, notably ranchers, hunters and outfitters. Rehberg is a rancher himself and has a dead, stuffed wolf in his Washington, DC office. I guess it’s easier to scapegoat wolves then talk about the bad economy or high unemployment.

 

Talk about a stacked deck. There are TWO environmentalists on the panel. One is Mike Leahy from DOW, and someone from the Sierra Club, not confirmed. The rest are ranchers, hunters, stockgrowers, outfitters, Wildlife Services, woolgrowers, state legislators, bowhunters, Montana Farmer’s Union, Sportsmen For Fish and Wildlife, Ravalli County Commissioner Rancher, Big Game Forever (Utah), Montana Dept. of Livestock, Montana FWP biologists, Montanans for Multiple Use and Toby Bridges.

 

He discussed killing wolves with the artificial sweetener Xylitol, toxic to canines, on his website Lobo Watch. This is who they pick to sit on a “listening session” panel on wolves. Is this a joke?

 

The panels are so shamelessly anti-wolf,  it’s embarrassing. Wolves don’t have a chance with this group. IMO the point of these “listening sessions” is for Rehberg to preach  to his base, mine for votes for the upcoming election, then go back to Washington, DC and say this was a representative panel of Montanans who want wolves “managed”. How completely transparent but totally predictable. 

 

October 5: Dillon
9:00 AM-11:00 AM
University of Montana Western, Lewis and Clark Room at Matthews Hall

 

Denny Rehberg, Montana’s Congressman, Rancher (Billings)

Jake Cummins, Jr., Executive Vice President, Montana Farm Bureau (Bozeman)

Meg Smith, Rancher, Member, Southwest Stockgrowers Association (Big Hole)

Rick Sandru, President, Ruby Valley Stockgrowers (Twin Bridges)

Russ Kipp, President, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (Polaris)

Debbie Barrett, State Senator (Dillon)

Dave Schultz, Madison County Commissioner (Ennis)

Mike Leahy, Rocky Mountain Regional Director, Defenders of Wildlife (Bozeman)

John Steuber, Director, USDA Wildlife Services (Billings)

Harold Peterson, Owner, Peterson Brothers Cattle Company (Big Hole)

John Helle, President, Montana Woolgrowers Association, Sheep Rancher (Dillon)

Steve Jennings, President, Beaverhead Outdoor Association (Dillon)

Emcee: Jeff Welborn, State Representative (Dillon)

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October 5: Hamilton
3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Hamilton Performing Arts Center

Denny Rehberg, Montana’s Congressman, Rancher (Billings)

Montana Farmers Union (Great Falls) *Invited, but unconfirmed

Ron Stoker, State Representative (Hamilton)

Sierra Club (Missoula) *Invited, but unconfirmed

Jack Pfau, Cattle rancher (Stevensville)

J.R. Iman, Rancher, Ravalli County Commissioner (Bitterroot)

Scott Boulanger, Former Owner, Circle K Outfitters (Darby)

Bill Merrill, President, Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (Missoula)

Ryan Benson, National Director, Big Game Forever (Utah)

Tony Jones, President, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association (Hamilton)

Craig Jourdonnais, Wildlife Biologist, Montana FW&P (Bitterroot) *Invited, but unconfirmed

George Edwards, Livestock Loss Mitigation Coordinator, MT Dept of Livestock (Helena)

Emcee: Rusty Wickman, Former Missoula Chief of Police, Member, Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (Missoula)

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October 6: Kalispell
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Flathead Valley Community College, Arts and Technology Large Meeting Room

Denny Rehberg, Montana’s Congressman, Rancher (Billings)

 

Gary Wardell, Board Member, Five Valleys Chapter Safari Club International (Kalispell)

Wayne Slaght, Rancher, Chair, Endangered Species Committee, Montana Stockgrowers Association (Ovando)

Chuck Hunt, President, Flathead Wildlife Incorporated (Kalispell)

Mike Meuli, Cattle Rancher (Kalispell)

Gerald Bennett, State Representative (Libby)

Edwin (Ed) Jonas, Cattle Rancher (Rollins)

Clarice Ryan, Board Member, Montanans for Multiple Use (Flathead)

Kirk Murphy, Director of Operations, Division III, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Polson)

Jason Tounsley, President, Montana Bow Hunters Association (Billings)

Toby Bridger, President, Lobo Watch (Missoula)

Joe Maurier, Director, Montana FW&P (Helena) *Invited, but unconfirmed

Emcee: Bruce Tutvedt, State Senator (Kalispell)

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Wolf Warriors if you can attend any of the meetings, please do!! I know it will be uncomfortable but wolves are voiceless and need our help.

I believe the focus of these “meetings” will be the legislation drafted by Rehberg to strip gray wolves of their ESA protections. Since the anti-wolf crowd lost in court they now want to dismantle one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation, the ESA. Wolves were only able to make a comeback because of the ESA. They still face incredible persecution and need its protection more than ever.

Please refer to the Center for Biological Diversity’s press release for talking points, if you are attending any of the meetings.

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Center for Biological Diversity

For Immediate Release, September 30, 2010　

Legislation Would Strip Federal Protection From Wolves Before Recovery is Complete

WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today condemned newly introduced federal legislation that would strip Endangered Species Act protections from wolves around the country before they have fully recovered.

“Recovery of endangered wolves is still far from complete,” said Michael Robinson of the Center. “Wolves occupy a mere 5 percent of their historic range in the continental United States and continue to be threatened by illegal killing and government predator control.”

Three bills have been introduced in Congress that would, variously, remove Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho , these states plus portions of surrounding states, or the entire country. The bills respond to a federal judge’s ruling in August that overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove Endangered Species Act protections from wolves in Montana , Idaho and portions of Washington , Oregon and Utah . Judge Donald W. Molloy ruled that the Fish and Wildlife Service cannot delist a species along political boundaries, in this case retaining listing in Wyoming , but rather must make such decisions based on science.

“The Endangered Species Act wisely requires decisions concerning the fate of endangered species like the wolf to be based solely on the best available scientific information,” said Robinson. “Allowing lawmakers to replace scientists in deciding which species get protected under the Endangered Species Act subverts the scientific process and sets a terrible precedent that will allow special interests to dictate which animals survive and which don’t.”

Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995, their numbers have increased to roughly 1,600 animals now primarily inhabiting Idaho , Montana and Wyoming . However, those states intend to drastically reduce wolf numbers once the animals are stripped of federal protection. Wyoming designates the wolf a “predatory animal” that can be shot on sight across almost 90 percent of the state. Wolf numbers in Idaho and Montana would be drastically curtailed under liberal public hunting and trapping seasons, as well as by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through aerial gunning, trapping and snaring, and gassing of pups in dens.

Wolves have also started to inhabit surrounding states, including four recently established wolf packs in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington, and individual wolves sighted in Utah and Colorado . These animals are in dire need of continued Endangered Species Act protection.

“Wolves have gained a pawhold in the northern Rocky Mountains , but they still need federal protection,” said Robinson. “With anti-wolf attitudes persisting among ranchers and wolf recovery just getting off the ground — or yet to begin in many areas — more work needs to be done to recover the wolf.”

To that end, the Center for Biological Diversity in July 2010 petitioned the federal government to develop a national recovery plan for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act to establish wolf populations in suitable habitat in the Pacific Northwest, California , Great Basin, southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and New England .

Wolves play a critical role in ecosystems. In Yellowstone National Park , wariness of wolves keeps elk from grazing on cottonwood saplings in low-visibility valleys. The cottonwoods that have matured in the 15 years that wolves have been back are reversing decades of ecological decline by providing habitat for birds, shade for fish, erosion control, and dam material and food for beavers whose ponds improve wildlife habitat even more. In Grand Teton National Park , a decline in pronghorn numbers was arrested and reversed by the reintroduction of wolves, which kill coyotes that hunt newborn pronghorns. In similar fashion, wolves benefit foxes. Overall, considering also the carrion that wolves provide to scores of other animals and the wolf’s role in ensuring survival of the fittest in its prey animals, this remarkable species is recognized as an engine of evolution.

www.biologicaldiversity.org

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: assault on the ESA, wolf persecution