An Open Letter from the CA Wolf Center

California Wolf Center

California Wolf Action Alert September 2012

Greetings Wolf Supporters!    This newsletter contains information about a California Fish and Game Commission hearing discussing protections for wolves in California.  Keep reading to find out how you can get involved!

Help protect the gray wolf under the California Endangered Species Act.   Please Come to a Hearing on October 3rd in Sacramento to Testify in Support of Protecting Wolves in California On October 3rd, 2012, the California Fish and Game Commission will be deciding whether to protect gray wolves under our state Endangered Species Act. Wolves, once native to California, were driven to extinction here by the 1920's. But wolves are making a comeback. Your help is needed to protect them. In late 2011, a wolf from Oregon, "OR-7," (aka "Journey") crossed the border to become California's first confirmed wild wolf in nearly 90 years. Wolf OR-7 is exploring terrain in northern California that his ancestors once called home. It is likely that more wolves will disperse into California in the years to come. Whether they have a future here depends on having strong protections in place. Several weeks ago, we sent you an alert asking you to submit letters to the Commission in advance of the October 3rd hearing. Now we invite you to join us in attending the hearing -- to testify in support of protecting wolves in California under our state Endangered Species Act. Below is Basic Information about the Location/Date/Time; some Talking Points; and some Easy Speaking Guidelines for speaking before the Commission. LOCATION/DATE/TIME Where: 1416 Ninth Street,Sacramento, CA 95814, in the auditorium When: Oct. 3, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Note:  The wolf item is #16 on the agenda, so is scheduled to be heard late in the day. But, the Commission reserves the right to change the schedule or leave it as is.  Please plan ahead for a long day; bring something to read while you wait for the wolf matter to be heard. Talking Points Please use as a guideline for your personalized testimony. I. Having a wolf come into California after nearly 90 years absence is remarkable! I am thrilled that wolf OR-7 is in our state. 2. Wolves are a native species in California, they belong here, and I believe we should welcome them back. 3. Wolves will continue to arrive in California and we should protect them as they arrive. They are our wildlife heritage, and we should ensure they are here for future generations. 4. We can't count on federal protections for wolves here. Right now the federal government is considering removing protections for wolves in California. 4. Wolves once roamed over most of California. Scientists have identified that good habitat for wolves still exists in large portions of Northern California and the Sierra Nevada. 5. Humans are the only known predators of wolves, and threats by humans to the existence of wolves will be barriers to the ability of wolves to survive and reproduce here. The State should protect the wolf. 6. For wolves to thrive here, they need protection and a good conservation and management plan. 7. In other areas where wolves are recovering, the state wildlife agency has crafted a conservation and management plan with stakeholder input, to best meet everyone's needs and concerns, while providing for the conservation and recovery of wolves. We can and should do the same thing in California. 8. The return of the wolf brings with it a healthier ecosystem, and economic benefits due to ecotourism in the wildlands areas where wolves live. This has been studied and reported in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding three-state area. We can see those same benefits here, if we protect wolves and allow them to return. EASY SPEAKING GUIDELINES You will likely be given only 3 minutes to speak, or less. If a lot of people are there to testify, you may only be given 1 minute to speak. So -- Prepare in advance. Create a 1 minute statement and a 3 minute statement. At the hearing, the Commission will announce how much time each speaker will get. If you wish to give the Commission handouts/written material, please bring 11 copies.   When you arrive, complete a Speaker's Card, and give it to a member of the Commission's staff before the wolf agenda item is considered. (It is item #16 on the Agenda for Oct 3rd) Organize your testimony as follows: -        State your name, city of residence (and whom you represent, if you are representing an organization) -        State your major point -        Briefly support your major point with factual data, rationale and/or logic -        If you are given time to state more than one point, then state your next one and briefly support it with factual data, rationale and/or logic -        State a recommended action Speak to the Commission, not the audience. Make your points clear and short. If someone else has already made your point in their testimony, don't be repetitious - simply state that you support the point they made and why. The Commission's decision of whether or not to list the wolf has to be supported by reasons, so be sure you state your reasons. Here's a sample testimony: "Mr. President and Members of the Commission. My name is ______________, I live in __________, and I represent ___________. Wolves are a native species to California and I am thrilled that we have a wild wolf here for the first time in 87 years. We drove wolves to extinction in this state, and we now have an opportunity to allow them to reestablish populations here. Humans are the wolf's only predator but we can coexist with them instead. I believe we should protect the wolf, and create a conservation and management plan for this species. Please list the wolf under the state Endangered Species Act." In This Email CESA Listing Testimony California Wolf Center Join Now Donate Now About Us

Thank you for your support for wolves! Wolves deserve protection here in California, and their future here depends on all of us.  We thank you for your support for endangered species protection for gray wolves under the California Endangered Species Act.