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Thank you for reading these important updates. We appreciate your support as we educate, advocate and participate on behalf of wolves.
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New Challenges Face Delisted
Great Lakes Wolves
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By now you have heard that in a decision dated December 19, 2014, U.S. District Judge Howell ruled that federal threatened status be restored to wolves in Minnesota and endangered status to wolves in Michigan,
Wisconsin and parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Now, we must insure that these protections are not short-lived and we are calling upon everyone who reads this alert to please take action. But, first, some background....
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The court ruled that the US Fish & Wildlife Service failed to adequately explain (1) why territory suitable for gray wolf population is not a significant part of the species' range, (2) the impact of combined mortality factors such as disease and human takings, (3) the adequacy of state regulatory schemes, and (4) how the presence of an unregulated killing zone in Minnesota does not constitute a threat to the species.
In other words, the US Fish and Wildlife Service cannot designate the Great Lakes wolves as a Distinct Population, for the purpose of delisting them. Wolves in the Great Lakes Region were delisted January 2012 giving the states the authority to oversee wolf management.
Since that time, more than 1,500 Great Lakes wolves have been killed through recreational hunting and trapping
 resulting in a substantial reduction in wolf populations. This added human caused mortality constitutes a threat to the species. Scientific research shows that wolf populations self-regulate and hunting is not necessary to manage wolves.
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Will History be Repeated?
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At this time, we do not know if the states will appeal the Court's decision. It is more likely that we will see legislative action. Anything is possible.
The 114th Congress convened this week - and Republicans officially gained control of both chambers of Congress. Although a variety of bills designed to weaken the Endangered Species Act were introduced during the 113th Congress, none was signed into law.
If passed, these laws would have siphoned scarce money away from  saving wildlife for pointless reporting requirements; discouraged citizens from holding the government accountable in protecting endangered species; and watered down the definition of "best available science" in determining how to manage imperiled species.
In 2011, a rider introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) was included in the must-pass federal budget bill removing wolves in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Utah from the federal endangered species list. It also banned citizens from challenging the wolf delisting decision while preserving anti-wolf litigation brought by the state of Wyoming and others. It was the first time that Congress bypassed the science-based process of the Endangered Species Act and stripped federal protections from an endangered species but it may not be the last.
The legislative threat to wolves is real with legislation expected to be introduced in the US House this month. The measure to delist wolves in the Great Lakes States will be co-sponsored by Congressman Dan Benishek (MI) Reid Ribble (WI) and Cynthia Lummis (WY) and would include the hunting and trapping of wolves.
WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!
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All of the bills and resolutions that have been discussed and debated for the past two years are now archived and now that the new Congress has convened, the process starts all over again with either new bills or reintroduced old bills.
Call or write your Congressman/Congresswoman AND Senator today.
THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: PLEASE, DO NOT SPONSOR OR SUPPORT ANY LEGISLATION OR RIDER THAT WOULD:
Weaken The Endangered Species Act
OR
Delist Wolves Nationwide
OR
Delist Wolves in the Great Lakes Region
We need this alert to go viral, from coast to coast. Please share via social media, email, post on blogs, or any other method.
Representatives and Senators need to hear their constituents support all wildlife, including wolves.
FIND YOUR SENATOR
FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
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Celebrate 20 Years of Wolf Recovery in Yellowstone!
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 This year marks 20 years since wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone.
To commemorate this historic event, the National Wolfwatcher Coalition is offering this shirt, designed especially for us.
The shirt is available in short, long sleeve, hoodies and youth sizes.
The National Wolfwatcher Coalition has no membership dues and we do not send out mailers asking for money. We exist because of the hundreds of hours donated by our volunteers, through your generous donations and through the sale of merchandise.
THESE SHIRTS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH 01/20/2015 |
501(c)(3) nonprofit, all volunteer organization
Our mission:
We 'educate, advocate, and participate' for the long term recovery and preservation of wolves based on the best available science and the principles of democracy. We:
- Educate the public about the important role that wolves play in maintaining healthy ecosystems
- Inform the public about challenges to wolf recovery
- Support measures that promote peaceful coexistence with wolves on the landscape
- Educate the public about the issues in all regions and ways it can effectively participate in the democratic process to promote science-based decision-making about wolves.
All donations, no matter the amount, will be appreciated because they will enable us to:
- Provide educational programs, materials and events
- Participate in conferences, seminars, and consultation with other professionals in the fields of wolf biology, research, conservation, eco-tourism and environmental law.
- Secure a Wolfwatcher Legal Fund to sustain potential engagement in litigation that challenges local, state and/or federal policies that affect wolf preservation.
To donate online, please click on the Donate button at the top. To donate by check or money order, please send your donation to our business office at: National Wolfwatcher Coalition, PO Box 161281, Duluth, MN 55816-1281
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