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Dear Friend,
We suspect you've heard the horrifying news that the Trump administration has cleared M-44 cyanide bombs to return to close to 245 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, OUR lands. This is unacceptable. What you may not have heard is what we're doing about it and how you can help.
Please read this full email, as it will empower you to help us stop the madness. Whether by taking one action or all listed, YOU can make a difference.
The Update: Decades of Victims Speak Out in Letter to Federal Officials
This past week we sent a heartfelt and highly detailed letter to top federal officials. In it numerous victims of cyanide bombs we've helped since 1994, who have lost their dogs or been poisoned themselves, spoke of the urgent need to stop using M-44 devices for predator control due to public safety concerns. The letter, co-signed by 13 key allies, also includes lists of incidents and deaths and observations from experts, including physicians, a veterinarian, a scientist, a former wildlife agent, and a former Congressman.
The danger of this situation is compounded by the fact that so much of the public heard cyanide bombs were banned on BLM lands in 2023 and may not know that ban has now been reversed. We don't yet know whether BLM will truly respect the statewide bans in place in Oregon, Washington, California, etc. With the current administration, all bets are off. So getting the word out and taking action as detailed below is imperative.
Additional information:
The Call to Action: Let's Make This Personal
We've decided that--since the officials holding power are unlikely to care much about the wildlife that may wrongfully die from cyanide bombs--we need to get their attention by making this personal, or at least more real. We hope they may be people who care about dogs or young children. So we are asking your help in deluging them with pictures and messages that clearly show why M-44s can never be used safely.
Bottom Line Up Front: It's very simple. The stark reality is this:
M-44 cyanide bombs can never be used safely because
they are indiscriminate killers, and no dog, wild animal or
young child can read a warning sign.
Action Option #1: Our Top Pick 🌟
Send a photo of your dog, or your friend's dog, or a postcard of a dog to the two federal officials listed below, DOI Secretary Doug Burgum and BLM Director Steven Pearce. Attach a Post-It note or letter that reads: "Dogs should not risk death on BLM lands. Please ban M-44 cyanide bombs!"
Action Option #2:
Send Burgum and Pearce an email or letter using the sample message below, ideally adapted to be as personal as possible.
Action Option #3:
Call and leave Burgum and Pearce a message using the phone #s below. Use the sample script below for inspiration, ideally adapted to be as personal as possible.
Action Option #4:
Contact BLM offices around the country listed below. Use the sample script below for inspiration, ideally adapted to be as personal as possible. You might mention a specific public land you like to recreate on.
Action Option #5:
Support Canyon's Law to ban M-44 cyanide bombs on all federal public lands. It was introduced in Congress in June 2025 by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR). The bill is currently adding cosponsors and is valid through the end of 2026.
Action Option #6:
Share this email with your friends and colleagues and post everywhere you can on social media. Urge everyone to take action. If needed, you'll find a web version of this email by clicking on the Action Alert dated June 28, 2026 near the top of our M-44 webpage.
***** Top Federal Officials to Contact *****
Mr. Doug Burgum, Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100, press 0 for employee locater
Email: excsec_exsec@ios.doi.gov
Web Message: https://www.doi.gov/contact-us#no-back (can send message, but no photo)
Mr. Stevan Pearce, Director
Bureau of Land Management
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100, then press 4 for BLM, then press 0
Email: spearce@blm.gov
***** Sample Message/Call Script *****
Dear Mr. Burgum (or Pearce),
I just learned that M-44 "cyanide bombs" have been cleared to be used again on BLM lands for predator control. I'm writing to urge you not to let this happen.
M-44s are a public safety issue. There is no way to use them safely, as no young child, dog or wild animal can read a warning sign.
M-44s have NO place on our public lands. They are indiscriminate devices filled with Category 1 poison. They have killed countless family dogs, endangered species, and wildlife. They have also injured dozens of people. They almost killed a child in Pocatello in 2017, and they caused the permanent disability of a Utah man in 2018, contributing to his death. Experts in the field affirm it is only a matter of time before an M-44 kills a child.
Please assure me you will prioritize the BLM not using these devices, as I would like to be able to recreate on BLM land without being concerned about being poisoned or whether my dog or child might die.
Thank you very much for your help ensuring safety on our shared public lands,
Your name
City, State
***** Key BLM Offices to Contact *****
Please contact at least one of the state BLM offices listed below and tell then NO, we do not want them to use M-44s ever again. It doesn't necessarily matter if you don't live in any of these states. If applicable, simply tell them you were planning to go there on vacation or hoping to recreate on BLM land in their area, but can no longer do so, due to safety concerns.
Note: State officials don't get nearly the contact that federal officials do, and the impact can be much higher, according to some top activists working in these challenging times.
CALIFORNIA
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/california-state-office
Phone: 916-978-4400
Email: BLM_CA_Web_SO@blm.gov
COLORADO
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/colorado-state-office
Phone: 303-239-3600
Email: blm_co_info@blm.gov
MONTANA & NORTH DAKOTA
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/montanadakotas-state-office
Phone: 406-896-5004
Email: BLM_MT_SO_Information@blm.gov
NEVADA
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/nevada-state-office
Phone: 775-861-6500
Email: BLM_NV_NVSO_web_mail@blm.gov
NEW MEXICO
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/new-mexico-state-office
Phone: 505-954-2000
Email: blm_nm_comments@blm.gov
OKLAHOMA (includes lands in KANSAS and TEXAS)
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/oklahoma-field-office
Phone: 405-579-7100
Email: blm_nm_comments@blm.gov (yes, it's the same as the NM email address, per their website)
OREGON & WASHINGTON
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/oregonwashington-state-office
Phone: 503-808-6001
Email: blm-orwa-public-room@blm.gov
WEST VIRGINIA
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/northeastern-states
Phone: 414-297-4401
Email: BLM_ES_NSDO_PublicInquiry@BLM.GOV
WYOMING (Includes lands in NEBRASKA)
Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/wyoming-state-office
Phone: 307-775-6256
Email: blm_wy_copywork@blm.gov
A Heartfelt Thank You
In closing, we thank you for taking any or all steps above to prevent M-44s from being used again on BLM lands. We greatly appreciate your time and caring.
Here's to all that is wild and free, and to public safety on OUR public lands.
Brooks Fahy
Executive Director
P.S. For any who wonder why we do not share petitions or pre-written emails that can be just clicked on, it is because, essentially, they don't work. They give people a false sense of doing something, but the receivers tend to just file them away and essentially ignore them. It is individual, customized personal communications that work. This has been increasingly proven by effective activists.
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Predator Defense is a national nonprofit advocacy organization devoted to protecting essential native predators, helping people learn to coexist with wild animals, and ending America's war on wildlife. They have been championing native predators with science, sanity, and heart since 1990.
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