ACTION ALERT: US Democrat Senators, Up For Re-Election, Who Voted For The 2011 Wolf Delisting Rider

November 4, 2014

VOTE!

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October 30, 2014

Vote these Democrat bums out of office!! They sold wolves down the river for Jon Tester’s Senate seat, in the Spring of 2011, by voting for the budget bill/ wolf delisting rider. Only 3 US Democrat Senators voted no. Why did they do this? To hold onto their Senate majority. President Obama signed the bill into law.

What the rider says:

(“SEC. 1713. Before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, 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 and shall not abrogate or otherwise have any effect on the order and judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming in Case Numbers 09–CV–118J and 09–CV–138J on November 18, 2010.”)

Send them a strong message on election day. Let them know what you think about their betrayal of wolves and the ESA by voting NO on their re-election bid!

Thousands of wolves have been killed in hunts because of the Senator’s actions. Eventually, Great Lakes wolves lost their federal protections as well. Now wolves are being hunted in 4 states: Montana, Idaho, Wisconsin and Minnesota with Michigan pushing hard  for a wolf hunt. Wyoming wolves were just relisted, due to a recent federal ruling but the Wyoming delegation is pushing for another Congressional delisting of wolves. This must be stopped! Congress has no business dismantling or meddling with the Endangered Species Act. This is a purely political move, to appease hunters and agribusiness.

245 wolves have  been killed in this year’s hunts, and they’re just getting warmed up. Minnesota’s wolf hunt starts on November 8th, with 250 wolves slated to die. Wisconsin has slaughtered 219 wolves in just 15 days.

I’ll leave this post up through election day, Tuesday, November 4th. Please stand up for wolves and show these politicians we have long memories!

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US Democrat Senators, Up For Re-Election, Who Voted To Delist Wolves, Via 2011 Budget Bill/Wolf Delisting Rider

Baucus (D-MT) resigned – seat open

(Click on names to visit their sites)

Begich (D-AK)

Durbin (D-IL)

Franken (D-MN)

Hagan (D-NC)

Harkin (D-IA)

Johnson (D-SD)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Merkley (D-OR)

Pryor (D-AR)

Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV)

Rockefeller (D-WV)

Schumer (D-NY)

Shaheen (D-NH)

Udall (D-CO)

Udall (D-NM)

Warner (D-VA)

If you want to see how the Republicans voted, please click on the Infamous 81 link, it lists everyone who voted yes. But we expected that of Republicans, but not the Democrats. That’s the real tragedy in all this. There was a President named Bill Clinton and he appointed Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt who oversaw the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone and Central Idaho in 95 and 96. He also created the Roadless Initiative, which I testified for. It set aside millions of acres of land for wildlife. That’s a Democrat, with an excellent Interior Secretary, who cares about our wild places and wants to preserve them. What passes for Democrats now should be ashamed to call themselves that.

If you want the full list of Republicans and Democrats who voted to delist wolves, watch this video,  made by wolf advocate Justin Forte.

 [youtube:http://youtu.be/w2aeTJ8CT60%5D

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Bloody Budget Bill

April 23, 2011

https://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/bloody-budget-bill-2/?

preview=true&preview_id=25599&preview_nonce=0af26a8714

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Contact The Infamous 81 Senators Who Voted To Delist Wolves In The Northern Rockies

April 15, 2011

https://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/contact-the-infamous-81/?preview=true&preview_id=12348&preview_nonce=7682a84e62

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Tester’s Howling Error

Congressionally delisting wolves could gut the ESA

by George Ochenski

Montana is already a national laughingstock thanks to the Republican legislature’s blatantly unconstitutional efforts to nullify federal laws on everything from guns to currency. Now comes Montana’s two U.S. Senators, Democrats Jon Tester and Max Baucus, who will only exacerbate the problem as they seek to congressionally exempt wolves from the Endangered Species Act—a precedent that may well make the act itself extinct.

http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/testers-howling-error/Content?oid=1428261

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Wyoming’s lawmakers might use law to remove wolves from endangered species list

October 05, 2014 8:00 am  •  By CHRISTINE PETERSON Casper Star-Tribune

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/wyoming-s-lawmakers-might-use-law-to-remove-wolves-from/article_e07169ae-a6f8-521c-a562-51330a115c09.html

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Photo: Courtesy Justin Forte and Ann Sydow

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Action Alert

Tags: Vote Betraying Dems OUT, Budget Bill/ Wolf Delisting Rider, Montana wolves, Idaho wolves, Northeastern Washington wolves, Eastern Oregon Wolves, Utah wolves, no judicial review. US Senate betrayal of ESA, Sen. Jon Tester,  wolves sacrificed for Senate Majority, Democrats betray wolves, Wyoming wolves

Eastern Oregon Wolves Could Be Facing Delisting In 2015…

Eastern Oregon Wolves Could Be Removed From State’s Endangered Species Act

OPB | Sept. 16, 2014 2:21 p.m. | Portland

Gray wolf populations are on the rise in Oregon, but that may not necessarily be good news for the animals.

The Statesman Journal reports  that the state may have enough potential wolf couples in 2015 for the minimum requirements to delist the animal.

“We were told in the beginning that when wolves first came to the county, we were waiting for that day,” said Todd Nash, wolf committee chairman for the Oregon Cattleman Association, in an interview with the newspaper.

According to Oregon’s Endangered Species Act, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife must verify four breeding pairs in eastern Oregon for three consecutive years.

In 2012, there were six pairs and last year the organization located four pairs. It’s predicted that 2014’s count won’t be complete until early next year, but early reports show more than four couples.

By removing wolves from the state’s endangered species list, ranchers would be permitted to use lethal force to defend their animals in more situations.

According to ODFW , shooting a wolf is considered a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of $6,250 fine and a year in jail.

http://www.opb.org/news/blog/newsblog/eastern-oregon-wolves-could-be-removed-from-states-endangered-species-act/

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Anyone who’s read the Oregon wolf “management plan” could see this coming a mile away. There was major push-back against “the plan”  in 2010. The number of breeding pairs needed, to reach delisting, was ridiculously low.  Here’s part of what Oregon’s wolf plan states:

Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan

Wolves may be considered for statewide delisting once the population reaches four breeding
pairs for three consecutive years in eastern Oregon.1

Four breeding pairs are considered the minimum conservation population objective, also described as Phase 1. The Plan calls for managing wolves in western Oregon as if the species remains listed until the western Oregon wolf population reaches four breeding pairs. This means, for example, that a landowner would be required to obtain a permit to address depredation problems using injurious harassment.

While the wolf remains listed as a state endangered species the following will be allowed: Wolves may be harassed (e.g. shouting, firing a shot in the air) to distract a wolf from a livestock operation or area of human activity.

Harassment that causes injury to a wolf (e.g., rubber bullets or bean bag projectiles) may be employed to prevent depredation, but only with a permit.

Wolves may be relocated to resolve an immediate localized problem from an area of human activity (e.g., wolf inadvertently caught in a trap) to suitable habitat. Relocation will be done by ODFW or Wildlife Services personnel but will not occur with wolves known or suspected to have depredated livestock or pets.

Livestock producers who witness a wolf ‘in the act’ of attacking livestock on public or private land must have a permit before taking any action that would cause harm to the wolf.

Once federally delisted, wolves involved in chronic depredation may be killed by ODFW or Wildlife Services personnel. However, non lethal methods will be emphasized and employed first in appropriate circumstances.

Once the wolf is delisted, more options are available to address wolf-livestock conflict. While
there are five to seven breeding pairs, livestock producers may kill a wolf involved in chronic
depredation with a permit. Five to seven breeding pairs is considered Phase 2.

Seven breeding pairs for three consecutive years in eastern or western Oregon is considered the management objective, or Phase 3. Under Phase 3 a limited controlled hunt could be allowed to decrease chronic depredation or reduce pressure on wild ungulate populations.

The Plan provides wildlife managers with adaptive management strategies to address wolf predation problems on wild ungulates if confirmed wolf predation leads to declines in localized herds.

In the unlikely event that a person is attacked by a wolf, the Plan describes the circumstances under which Oregon’s criminal code and federal ESA would allow harassing, harming or killing of wolves where necessary to avoid imminent, grave injury. Such an incident must be reported to law enforcement officials.

A strong information and education program is proposed to ensure anyone with an interest in wolves is able to learn more about the species and stay informed about wildlife management activities.

Several research projects are identified as necessary for future success of long-term wolf conservation and management. Monitoring and radio-collaring wolves are listed as critical components of the Plan both for conservation and communication with Oregonians.

An economic analysis provides updated estimates of costs and benefits associated with wolves in Oregon and wolf conservation and management.

Finally, the Plan requires annual reporting to the Commission on program implementation.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/Wolves/docs/Oregon_Wolf_Conservation_and_Management_Plan_2010.pdf

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This was posted in June 2010 on Howling for Justice, written by wolf advocate Katie, a Oregon resident, explaining why the plan was insufficient and should be changed.

Help Change Oregon’s Wolf Management Plan, PLEASE COMMENT BY JUNE 30th

June 21, 201o

 “Wolves may be considered for statewide delisting once the population reaches four breeding pairs for three consecutive years in eastern Oregon…. The plan calls for managing wolves in western Oregon as if the species remains listed until the western Oregon wolf population reaches four breeding pairs.”

This means when there are four packs in eastern Oregon and four in western Oregon, wolves will be stripped of ESA protection statewide.

The average gray wolf pack size is about 8 wolves. If packs in Oregon follow the norm, then roughly 64 wolves will be present when they are delisted. A recent study suggests Oregon could support up to 2200 wolves and still maintain a healthy ecosystem. I don’t know about you, but 64 wolves doesn’t sound like recovered to me.

READ MORE: https://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/help-change-oregons-wolf-management-plan-please-comment-by-june-30/

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So it’s come to this. Oregon, one of the friendliest of wolf states, may soon subject Eastern Oregon wolves to delisting because of the state’s weak management plan. This is the defining statement in their “plan”. “Seven breeding pairs for three consecutive years in eastern or western Oregon is considered the management objective, or Phase 3. Under Phase 3 a limited controlled hunt could be allowed to decrease chronic depredation or reduce pressure on wild ungulate populations.” 

Howling for Justice does not support managing wolves. Wolves are self-regulating and do not need to be “managed” Managing wolves is a catch phrase for the lead up to eventually hunting and killing them,  as you can see by the statement above, quoted from Oregon’s wolf management plan.  IMO, management includes continually harassing wolves through collaring, counting their numbers, treating them as though they are terrorists, needing to be watched every second. Wolf management plans are driven by agribusiness and unfortunately state fish and game agencies bow to that pressure. Ranchers lose thousands of livestock annually to non-predation, yet tiny wolf/livestock issues get headlines.

In 2010, Oregon ranchers lost 51, 200 calves and cows to non-predation. Yes, 51,200 and those numbers come from NASS ( National Agricultural Statistics Service). At the time, two members of the Imnaha pack, including the alpha male, father of OR7, were under a kill order for supposedly killing a few cattle. But ranchers lost thousands and thousands of cows that year to digestive problems, respiratory problems, metabolic problems, mastitis, lameness/injury, other diseases, weather related issues, calving problems, poisoning and theft. 51.200 to be exact. Can everyone see how ridiculous it is that ranchers complain wolves affect their bottom line when in fact it’s non-predation that takes a toll on their business. And remember ranchers are compensated for every confirmed wolf kill but aren’t reimbursed for non-predation deaths.  To put this all in perspective, concerning predation losses for all predators in the lower 48  in 2010, including coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, dogs, vultures, wolves, bears. other predators and unknown predators, “coyotes and
dogs caused the majority of cattle and calf predator losses….”. NASS

 Wolf predation is a red herring and an excuse to kill wolves, period.  How could 14 wolf predations in 2010, blamed on the Imnaha Pack, have any effect on Oregon ranching’s bottom line, compared to the 51,200 cows and calves lost to non-predation? It would laughable if it wasn’t so deadly serious for wolves.

I know ranching is going to be pushing hard for delisting Eastern Washington wolves in the coming months, sadly because the Oregon Wolf Management Plan falls far short. It should be revisited and revised to allow Oregon wolves to continue to grow and prosper.

You can contact Governor Kitzhaber by clicking  HERE  to voice your concerns!

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51,200 Dead Oregon Cows, Not Killed By Wolves, Where’s The Media?

Sept 28, 2011

READ MORE: http://wp.me/pDTDG-3RT

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Photo: Courtesy ODFW

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Oregon Wolves

Tags: Eastern Oregon wolves, delisting 2015?, Oregon wolf management plan insufficient, revisit Oregon wolf plan