Will Wyoming's wolves be next?
Jamie Rappaport Calrk, Defenders of Wildlife
Last week, the Obama administration opened a brief public comment period on a revised plan to delist Wyoming's wolves.
Unfortunately, this plan is virtually the same bad plan that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected in years past and leaves Wyoming's wolves at the mercy of a shoot-on-sight state policy that covers nearly 90% of the state.
The Wyoming wolf plan has changed little from past plans that federal officials found to be unacceptable. It relies on out-of-date recovery goals rather than the best available science. It allows wolf numbers to be significantly reduced in the state. And the plan still allows for indiscriminate wolf killing across the vast majority of Wyoming...even on national forests and other lands owned by the American taxpayer.
It's still a flawed plan that does not treat wolves as the ecologically important wildlife that they are.
Speak out now to oppose the Wyoming wolf delisting plan before the May 16th deadline.
We simply can't allow the Obama administration to walk away from its responsibility to ensure a healthy wolf population in the Northern Rockies by their approval of Wyoming's wolf plan. The stakes are too high for the future of wolves in the West.
Idaho is already pursuing a race to the bottom in wolf management -- killing more than 400 wolves in just the first year of delisting. If Wyoming is given the green light for their management plan, vital dispersal of wolves to other states where wolves have historically made their homes may become difficult.
And without federal protections, Wyoming could follow Idaho's lead -- modifying their management plan to make the situation even worse for wolves in the region.
We have already seen what can happen if the fate of wolves is turned over to states with extreme anti-wolf plans in place. We need to make sure the Obama administration gets it right for wolves in Wyoming.
Speak out now for the future of wolves in Wyoming and the West.
As early as this fall, wolves in Wyoming could be at the mercy of a state plan that allows these iconic animals to be shot on sight throughout most of the state.
More than 76,000 Defenders supporters spoke out against the Wyoming delisting plan during the original public comment period. Will you speak out now before next Wednesday's deadline?
Together, we can ensure a lasting future for America's wolves.
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Sincerely,
Jamie Rappaport Clark President Defenders of Wildlife |
defenders@mail.defenders.org