Tell Officials: Don't Strip Great Lake Wolves of Protected Status

The gray wolves of the midwest are under attack for the third time in seven years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency wishes to strip the wolves of their protected status under the Endangered Species Act. They've failed in the past, but following the legislation that has removed protections from gray wolves in the Rocky Mountains, they're trying again.

Great Lake gray wolves were hunted nearly to extinction just a few decades ago. Since then, they've been doing well but aren't out of the woods yet. They still face threats from disease and illegal hunting. Scientists have also concluded that there isn't just one species living in the area, but two, and they've been interbreeding. Biologists say it is imperative for protections to remain intact for the recovery of both species -- and the new hybrid species -- to be successful. Wisconsin plans to bring numbers down to 350, which is about half of the current population. Minnesota plans to pay officials a bounty for every wolf they kill.

The U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service is asking for public opinion on the matter. Sign the petition to tell the Fish and Wildlife Service: Wolves need protection until recovery is truly achieved and threats are diminished.


Petition

$1 Fine for Killing An Endangered Species Is Not Enough

A $1 fine seems quite ridiculous to me for such an inhumane crime. Two boys, who were pleaded guilty to the shooting of endangered whooping crane in Indiana must be quite happy with the $1 fine charge.

Wade Bennett, 18 of Cayuga and another unnamed minor received one year of probation, $550 in legal costs and only $1 fine for their crime.

Their actions were not normal from any angle. The two boys went out on a killing spree and killed one whooping crane, did some squirrel hunting and enjoyed their target practice greatly.

Although Bennet provided false information, neither of the boys are being charged with federal crimes, including violations of the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Act, because there was a minor involved.

The crane who was killed was the mother of the first chick to be hatched and raised in the wild by cranes who had been raised in captivity. These cranes were hand raised at the USGS Patuxtent Wildlife Research Center as part of Operation Migration to reintroduce whooping cranes in the east.

The baby cranes are reared by humans and taught skills to survive in the wild. However, it is sad to note that for all the hard work being put those who are ready to kill these innocent endangered animals can get away with just $1 fine.

Help Save The Mexican Gray Wolves

Only 42 ...and read 42 only is the number of Mexican gray wolves that are left in the wild now in the entire world. This is a really bad news. Not shocking with the way we are going killing animals. But definitely sad.

These wolves – found in the wild only in Arizona and New Mexico – face plenty of threats, including illegal killing by anti-wolf extremists. But now a Montana Congressman is taking aim at the life-saving protections these and other rare and beautiful animals need to survive.

Rehberg’s two bills would eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for every single wolf in the Southwest, Midwest and Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

The result? A no-holds-barred approach to wolf killing that would end efforts to stop wolf killings in the Southwest and could see Idaho lawmakers make good on their promise to “remove wolves by whatever means necessary.”

If passed, this legislation would also be the first ever to exempt a single species from the Endangered Species Act – setting a dangerous precedent for removing protections for other imperiled wildlife.

Make no mistake: These bills are bad for wolves, bad for the Endangered Species Act, and bad for the future of all America’s wildlife.

Let's stand up for this meaningful cause and Take Action. Send the following letters to make sure this does not happen.

SAVE OUR WOLVES.

Source: Defenders  of Wildlife

Protect the strength of endangered species act

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is America's bedrock conservation law. But this invaluable act could be weakened if we let anti-wolf legislation remove Northern Rockies gray wolves from the ESA.

Never before has Congress targeted one specific species for removal from the ESA in such a reckless manner.

Excluding gray wolves from these protections would threaten the foundation of the ESA and mean death for hundreds of wolves. Northern Rockies wolves be beyond the reach of ESA protections forever and we would have no ability to petition for these protections in the future, no matter how threatened wolves become. Only the Interior Secretary, at his sole discretion, would have the power to petition for ESA protections for wolves.

Tell Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to keep Northern Rockies wolves under Endangered Species Act protections and guard the strength of the ESA.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/257/589/731/