DC Wolf Rally Urges Continued Protections

Posted: 01 Oct 2013

John Motsinger, Communications Specialist

Defenders staff and dozens of wolf advocates showed their true colors yesterday… by wearing gray t-shirts in support of gray wolves! About 100 people chanted, howled and made their voices heard in front of the Interior Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., opposing the premature delisting of wolves nationwide. Even amidst a looming government shutdown, the rally drew much-needed attention to the plight of wolves across the West as they move closer to losing federal protection.

Special guest Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) dropped by to kick-off the rally by talking about the importance of wolves. He noted how dramatically wolves have improved the Yellowstone ecosystem, as well as the economic benefits that wolf tourism has brought to local communities. Next, Defenders President Jamie Rappaport Clark called the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal unacceptable, saying the federal government – our government – is giving up too soon.

“We didn’t stop fighting for bald eagles until they were soaring in the skies from coast to coast. We didn’t quit protecting American alligators until they inhabited estuaries from Texas to the Carolinas. And we shouldn’t abandon wolves now before our work is done.”

Debbie Sease with Sierra Club and Leda Huta with Endangered Species Coalition continued with speeches along similar lines, holding the Fish and Wildlife Service and Obama administration accountable for walking away from wolf recovery. And 6-year old Naoma wrapped up the show with touching poem she wrote with her grandmother.

The hearing took place in the auditorium at the Department of the Interior.

So we rallied in the park right across the street!

Defenders' president Jamie Rappaport Clark speaks with Representative DeFazio (D-OR) during the rally.

"Are you ready to stand up and speak out for wolves?"

Representative DeFazio (D-OR) stopped by to talk about the potential for wolf recovery in the Pacific Northwest.

"The gray wolf can join the ranks of Endangered Species Act success stories - but not if the government gives up before the job is done."

Debbie Sease, from the Sierra Club, also spoke to the crowd

Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition

When it came time to sign up to testify during the hearing, the line stretched out the door!

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The hearing kicked off with a brief presentation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the history and current status of wolf recovery.

Even more people attended the public hearing that followed the rally, most of them offering very heart-felt testimony against the proposal to strip federal protections for gray wolves across most of the lower 48. Wolf supporters traveled from as far as Florida and Washington State to share their views on wolf recovery. Some shared personal stories of seeing wolves in the wild. Others talked about the important ecological role that wolves play in maintaining nature’s balance. Many decried the unnecessary killing of the beautiful animals that we’ve worked so hard to restore.

Jamie Rappaport Clark also gave expert testimony as the former director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Defenders’ Executive Vice President Don Barry, who served as the Interior Department’s Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks during the Clinton administration, spoke on behalf of himself and two others who held his position, all in opposition to the delisting proposal. Defenders also submitted for the hearing record a petition signed by 145,000 Defenders supporters who oppose the proposed delisting, plus nearly 10,000 personalized letters written by wolf advocates expressing their outrage and disappointment with the current proposal.

Not surprisingly, all but a handful of those testifying were there to ask the Fish and Wildlife Service NOT to delist wolves. One of the only people to support delisting was a young representative for Safari Club International who said wolf management should be left to the states, and that doing so would improve social tolerance. Unfortunately, experience to date has proven otherwise. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have allowed aggressive hunting and trapping of wolves in the last two years that has started to drive populations down with no sign of stopping. Further, the continued persecution of wolves based on myths and fairy tales has only led to more divisiveness.

With gray wolves only occupying about eight percent of their historic habitat and about a third of remaining suitable habitat, how can the federal government declare mission accomplished? We’re confident that a fair and unbiased peer review of the science will show that wolf populations are still not secure across a significant portion of their range. And we’re hopeful that the Fish and Wildlife Service will use that as the basis for maintaining federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves.

Be sure to submit your written comments by the Oct. 28 deadline if you haven’t already done so. Because the federal government is currently shut down, the public hearings scheduled for Sacramento and Albuquerque later in the week have been postponed. But Defenders will still host our training session and a gathering of wolf supporters as previously planned. In the meantime, stay tuned for more details as they become available. Thanks again to all Defenders members and supporters and all the wolf advocates who turned out in force yesterday to take a stand for wolves! Together, we will ensure that wolves have a brighter future nationwide.

The post DC Wolf Rally Urges Continued Protections appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

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Government Shutdown? We’re Still Howling.

Posted: 01 Oct 2013

The government may have shut down, but they can’t silence wolf supporters. Despite the shutdown, Defenders is going ahead with planned trainings and public events for wolves on Wednesday in Sacramento and Friday in Albuquerque.

Due to the shutdown of the federal government, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has officially postponed its scheduled public hearings on their ill-conceived proposal to remove Endangered Species Act protections for most gray wolf populations. The agency had planned to hold hearings in Sacramento, CA on October 2nd and Albuquerque, NM on October 4th.

However, in anticipation of these hearings being rescheduled, Defenders of Wildlife is still holding training sessions and gathering of wolf supporter we’ve planned in these cities. The October 2nd Sacramento training session and show of support for wolves will begin at 3:30 pm. The location is: Clarion Inn, Comstock Room 1401 Arden Way Sacramento, CA 95815. The October 4th Albuquerque training session and show of support for wolves will begin at 3:30 pm. The location is: Embassy Suites, Sierra Ballroom 1000 Woodward Place NE Albuquerque, NM 87102. We must express strong opposition to FWS’s wolf delisting proposal, and Defenders urges citizens to make their voices heard when the Sacramento and Albuquerque hearings are rescheduled. This week’s gatherings and trainings will be our only opportunity for in-person meeting before the hearings take place. At the events, we will:

• - Make sure you are prepared for the public hearing when it is rescheduled
• - Strategize for future actions
• - Enable citizens meet other wolf supporters
• - Write official comments to FWS, and
• - Show FWS that even with a government shutdown, they can’t ignore our voice!

Defenders of Wildlife encourages wolf supporters to attend this week’s events if at all possible. We will let you know when the Fish and Wildlife Service reschedules the hearings. Thank you for your continued support for wolves and hope we see you this week in Sacramento or Albuquerque!

The post Government Shutdown? We’re Still Howling. appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.


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