Wolves in the lower 48 states to be stripped of all Endangered Species Act protections. Urgent!

[G_j]

http://wolfwatcher.org/news/all-news/keep-wolves-protected-in-the-lower-48/

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing to strip wolves across the lower 48 states of all Endangered Species Act protections! Wolves have only just begun to recover in large portions of the Pacific Northwest, California, southern Rocky Mountains and Northeast.

Retaining protections for wolves in the lower 48 will not impact the delisting decisions in the northern Rocky Mountains or western Great Lakes. However, it will retain protections for a small number of wolves in the West – wolves that have slowly been moving back into historically occupied areas like the southern Rocky Mountains and Northeast. These wolves may never recover if this plan is implemented.

Right now members of Congress are ready to step in. Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) are circulating a letter to the USFWS opposing the premature removal of wolf protections. U.S. Representative’s Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Jim Moran (D-VA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and David Cicilline (D-RI) have already signed on as co-signatories.

Letter, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7xYnjjogLTJWHJsSDc5SHhNM0E/preview?pli=1

ACTION: Please call and write to your member of Congress to urge him or her to save wolves by signing onto Reps. DeFazio and Markey’s letter. Remind them that removing protections for lower 48 wolves is premature and will prevent their recovery in portions of their former historical range.

[HappyMe]

1. k&r

[Smilo]

2. Sickening

k&r

[joeybee12]

3. Brilliant, right after they let hunters slaughter 2/3 of the wolves in the West

Phuckers.

[backtoblue]

4. knr

[JaneyVee]

5. Terrible. I feel such a spiritual connection to wolves, perhaps my spirit animal.

[G_j]

11. not having a star either, do you see the disgusting ad

that appears at the bottom of the thread?
(wolf pelts for sale). Here:
http://www.peterpalms.com/wolf/?gclid=CJvpuMry0bUCFQk4nAodnDgANw

[countryjake]

31. Saw it! The asshat hoisting up armfuls up Arctic Wolf Pelts?

It was quite a while back before I renewed, and I can't remember which sort of thread I was reading at the time, but it made me furious.

It had that guys name down along the side of the pic...I sure wouldn't post his site link here, seeing those ads are bad enough. Promoting wolf kills makes DU suck!

[intheflow]

6. Are wolves still endangered?

If not, they should be removed from the ESA.

To be clear: I don't favor wolf hunting at all, but the the ESA is a specific piece of legislation designed to protect species from becoming extinct. It is not a blanket act to save all animals under all circumstances. If the goal is to have wolf hunting abolished forever, a different piece of legislation has to be crafted and passed.

[truebrit71]

7. Yes.

[Peter cotton]

9. The International Union for Conservation of Nature disagrees.

As per the wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf

Hunting and trapping has reduced the species' range to about one third, though its still relatively widespread range and stable population means that the species is not threatened at a global level, and is therefore classified by the IUCN as Least Concern.



On the face of it, I don't see any reason to be concerned about this decision.

[G_j]

12. And the Mexican Wolf?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_wolf

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_endangered_species

Please read the letter,

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7xYnjjogLTJWHJsSDc5SHhNM0E/preview?pli=1

[Peter cotton]

18. I can certainly understand keeping this particular subspecies on the endangered list.

The far more common gray...not so much.

[truebrit71]

14. "not threatened AT A GLOBAL LEVEL"....we are not talking globally though are we?

I'm really not interested in what the French think about this issue...

[Peter cotton]

19. Why should national borders be relevant in this case?

Suppose a species of lizard, common in Mexico, appeared in the United States for the first time. Would you propose declaring it an endangered species?

[truebrit71]

23. Yes. Especially if it had formerly been much more widespread in the USA.

As is the case with the Gray Wolf...which got locally (i.e. in the USA) hunted damned near out of existence..

[intheflow]

21. The Mexican Grey is.

As noted by G_j, elsewhere in this thread. As such, I would support their continuing on the ESA. But the more common grey wolf is not, so they should be removed and have other protections enacted to ensure their safety.

[truebrit71]

24. Sorry but that is not accurate. There is no such thing as a "common" wolf in the lower 48 states.

That is why they were placed on the ESA in the first place.

[intheflow]

32. Okay, then, Nit Picker.

Last edited Tue Feb 26, 2013, 12:29 AM - Edit history (1)

See Peter Cotton's post #9 to see that there is a common genus called simply 'grey wolf' that is not endangered in the lower 48. I never said it's scientific name was "common grey wolf."

[truebrit71]

8. DAMMIT!!!

[glinda]

10. K & R n/t

[life long demo]

13. This is just wrong, wrong, wrong

My member of Congress - before PA was recently redistricted, was Allyson Schwartz, fantastic lady, very responsive to environmental and wildlife issues. Now it's Mike Fitzpatrick, a complete waste of human space. I can honestly say I am no longer represented in Congress. Will look for any petitions on line.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. To listen to some of the locals you would think it was werewolves.

[G_j]

16. Happens every time... Nt

[Auntie Bush]

17. This makes me sick.

I was hoping they would be put back on the threatened list....but instead all wolves are taken off the list. Hunters must be loving it... but it's sickening to me! It's a sad day!

[G_j]

20. It's not over yet!

From above:
ACTION: Please call and write to your member of Congress to urge him or her to save wolves by signing onto Reps. DeFazio and Markey’s letter. Remind them that removing protections for lower 48 wolves is premature and will prevent their recovery in portions of their former historical range.

[MoonRiver]

22. I've signed so many petitions to protect wolves.

God damn ranchers want to wipe wolves out so the ranchers can continue to slaughter sheep and cattle with no interruptions.

[Worried senior]

25. Contacted my representatives too

but they are repubs so they don't care. Get the same old form letter back stating how they are hurting the farmers and ranchers.

I too have signed so many petitions, you wonder if they really see them and if they do they don't appear to care.

[patrice]

26. This will be the topic of my tomorrow's calls to "our" representation in D.C. Thanks for posting! nt

[G_j]

29. Thanks patrice!

As always, :you rock:

[patrice]

30. Thanks for the compliment and same to you for all that you do for everyone! nt

[xchrom]

27. Du rec. Nt

[drmeow]

28. Just e-mail Kirsten Sinema

I am SO happy about Arizona's redistricting - possibly the only thing this state has done right - it freed me from the teabagging asswipe who was my rep and gave me the closest AZ has to a real liberal!

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

33. K&R and a 'please help'

I'm too sick right now to say more than "Please Help my Wolf Brethren!"

[patrice]

34. I told Alec in Kevin Yoder's office what a great environmental PR opportunity this is & asked

him to get this letter in front of Representative Yoder.

[G_j]

35. Excellent point

Thank you!
I feel literally sick at the slaughter of wolves in this country.

[patrice]

36. I know they can be dangerous, which is their rightful nature, so I hope it isn't over

romanticizing them to say that I think they are guardians of a certain fundamental type that we disrespect at great peril to ourselves and to others and it is Earth herself who makes that so, not us humans. The wolves are like canaries whom we have drug into our coal mines with us.

[Beringia]

37. kick