Bad News: Alaska Takes Aim at Wolves Near Federal Lands, 200 Targeted
Rodger Schlickeisen, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
This past weekend, Alaska officials began using spotter planes and a helicopter to track and kill roughly two hundred wolves in the Fortymile Region of Alaska near the Yukon-Charlie Rivers National Preserve. [1]
State officials only recently announced their plan to kill roughly two-thirds of the wolves that range near these federal lands, but it’s a grim reminder of last year’s wolf-killing campaign in the area: state agents gunned down 84 wolves over the course of just six days last March. [2]
Unfortunately, that’s not the only bad news for Alaska’s wolves.
In its latest meeting, the state’s powerful Board of Game approved a plan to expand aerial gunning of wolves in other parts of the state and voted to allow wolf trapping just outside Denali National Park, ignoring the concerns of park officials.
The park’s already-declining wolf population -- a major attraction for visitors to Denali -- could be hit especially hard. In the six-million-acre park, only around 65-70 wolves now remain, the lowest recorded number since radio-tracking began in the 1980s. [3]
And -- because wolves can’t see the boundaries between state and federal lands -- even Denali’s famous Toklat pack will be at risk of death.
Imagine it: wolves from our federal lands, chased to exhaustion outside of the Yukon-Charlie Rivers National Preserve by helicopters and gunned down with high-powered rifles or dying slow, painful deaths in traps should they wander from the safety of Denali National Park.
Right now, we’re advancing federal legislation to stop Alaska’s brutal and scientifically unfounded aerial wolf-killing programs. And working with our sister organization, Defenders of Wildlife, we’re fighting on the ground and in court to protect wildlife on our federal lands from Alaska’s outrageous plans.
They’ve already gassed up the helicopters in Alaska. Please donate right now to help us save these wolves, other wildlife and their homes.
For the Wild Ones,
 |
 Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund |
P.S. Please make a secure donation on our website right now, or contribute over the phone by calling 1-800-425-4632.
Notes
[1] http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/news/2009/03-16-2009.pdf
[2] http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/030710/sta_571815026.shtml
[3] http://www.adn.com/2010/03/05/1169822/area-around-denali-park-opened.html
200 Wolves Targeted
Last March, state officials used spotter planes and a helicopter to kill 84 wolves near the Yukon-Charlie Rivers National Preserve. This year, they hope to kill around 200.
Donate today to help us raise $100,000 by Friday, March 19th