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Feds Gun Down 14 Wolves in Idaho
Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife
It's disturbing news: Earlier this month, federal employees took to the skies to kill wolves in the Clearwater National Forest.
By the end of this unscientific mission to boost game populations, 14 wolves were shot dead in the Lolo region of the Clearwater National Forest. Already, 28 wolves have been killed this season by hunters, trappers and other means in this area.
Using federal resources to execute an expensive and unnecessary wolf-killing plan to artificially boost elk populations is simply outrageous and unacceptable.
Defenders is taking immediate steps to urge the Obama administration to reform Wildlife Services. The federal government should not be in the business of killing wolves to boost game populations -- especially on our national forests.
We are preparing to mobilize tens of thousands of our supporters, reach out to media outlets and educate the public on this terrible, unnecessary killing of wolves.
That's why we need your help right now.
Wolf killing operations like these throw science out the window.
Science tells us that elk declines in the Lolo are the result of multiple factors, including historic habitat changes, road-building and over-hunting. The knee-jerk reaction of exterminating wolves without addressing these other factors is not scientific -- or sensible -- wolf management.
Biologists aren't even sure of the number of wolves in the Lolo region -- killing dozens of wolves could wipe most of these magnificent and ecologically important animals out of the entire area.
Please donate now to help stop the unnecessary killing in Idaho.
Wolves are an essential part of a natural ecosystem and should not be treated like vermin to be exterminated to boost game populations. While Defenders and our allies have been working to restore these keystone species to their historic homes, Idaho officials are killing off too many wolves rather than managing them as valued wildlife.
The aerial gunning of wolves on our national forests is only the latest step in Idaho that unfairly targets wolves. Already, more than 400 wolves -- perhaps half Idaho's population -- have been killed through hunting, trapping and other methods. That's too many.
Idaho holds the core of the Northern Rockies wolf population. If this population is reduced to unsustainable levels, it will directly threaten the viability of the overall regional wolf population.
For nearly three decades, Defenders has been working with federal, state and local officials on the ground to find commonsense, science-based solutions to ensure that wolves are restored to their historic homes and thrive there.
We're preparing for another season of our pioneering work with ranchers and livestock producers, using non-lethal techniques to keep wolves and livestock out of harm's way.
But we need your support to stop aggressive, unnecessary policies that only appease anti-wolf extremists -- and make our work to ensure a lasting future for wolves more difficult.
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Sincerely,
Jamie Rappaport Clark President Defenders of Wildlife |
P.S. Make a secure tax-deductible donation online to help wolves and other wildlife. Or call 1-800-385-9712 to donate by phone.