 TARGET: President Obama
Author: Leila
Dear Mr. President,
We’re writing because of profound concern for wolves in the Northern Rockies. Their population is already tenuous, and the very premature removal of Federal Endangered Species Act protections presents a serious threat to their survival; the delisting allows 70% of the region’s wolves to be slaughtered, and thereby reduce the region’s wolf population to far less than a sustainable number. If this decision is allowed to stand, wolves remaining in the Northern Rockies will suffer genetic damage, followed by extinction. There are very few wolves remaining in our country, and we’re extremely fortunate in the historic reintroduction of wolves from Canada, in 1995; most people would believe this requires Endangered Species Act protections, and our failure to apply them would be disastrous, for a species so exceptionally beloved by the American people.
As we’ve been blessed by such a promising start to restoring wolf populations, rational, scientifically sound protections could allow our wolf populations to become sustainable, and legitimately eliminate the need for Endangered Species Protections. It’s devastating that our wolves would be betrayed for political gain, to brutal mass slaughter, as Secretary Salazar has done. As the delisting occurred in the face of overwhelming public opposition, it insults the American people, as well as violating our most cherished values.
The delisting claims to be for the purpose of harvesting predators; this is a defiance of any scientifically supported position, and transparently false. The states in which the wolves reside, have planned hunts allowing decimation as fully as the aggressive delisting plan, including allowing wolf killing without a hunting license. These states’ policies are the primary reason for the Fish and Game Service’s strenuous opposition to state based wolf management. The wolves’ primary opponents are sport hunting organizations, and state wildlife agencies are funded mostly by hunting fees and related revenue. Wolves have lived beneficially with the same species as they are now, in far greater numbers, and are an invaluable part of good ecology, while most hunters are ecologically illiterate. Only 1/10th of a percentage point of livestock loss is related to wolf encounters, and extensive programs to support ranchers’ relations with wolves are in place. Of course wolves have rarely killed humans throughout our nation’s history, and no healthy wolf ever has.
We’re sure you’re aware of the litigation against this unfortunate decision, by an alliance of widely respected non-profit organizations. This litigation has had to be done before, and is supported primarily by funding from private citizens, while its opposition is funded by powerful and wealthy special interests. The American people, and our beloved wolves, are only represented because of our own extraordinary efforts, in our legal system; it’s disappointing that we aren’t represented at all by Secretary Salazar, who appears to have violated your administration’s promise to consult conservationists, scientists, and other stakeholders on key issues, before making decisions.
Please give this crucial concern your best consideration, and respond positively, in support of truly American values, as you have in so many other ways.
The Undersigned |