Take Action Now. The future of America’s wolves is at stake right now. Wolf recovery is just beginning in the Pacific Northwest, yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plans to strip Endangered Species Act protections from nearly all wolves in the lower 48 states.
The country’s most reputable wildlife scientists strongly oppose the delisting and have publicly contested this strictly political move. Days ago those wolf experts on the peer review panel for delisting were eliminated from reviewing the plan. Now, the FWS has put the peer review process in its entirety on hold indefinitely. This strictly political move is contrary to science and the law.
When wolves lose federal protections, they die. As seen from Idaho, Montana and Wyoming where “delisting” has caused the death of 1,181 animals that have been hunted, poisoned, trapped and persecuted with the same vicious attitude that nearly drove them extinct a century ago.
Wolves once roamed California, which has extensive areas of suitable habitat. Oregon currently has six established packs, approximately 46 wolves and Washington has nine packs with an estimated 51 animals. For the first time in 85 years one lone wolf Journey or OR-7 was recorded venturing into California and traversed over 4,500 miles only to return to Oregon earlier this year.
Early in 2012, EPIC petitioned to list the wolf under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). As of October 2012, the Gray Wolf was designated as a “candidate species” which garners full protections under CESA. EPIC is now involved with the statewide stakeholder group working on a California Recovery Plan.
At EPIC, we advocate for wolves and prepare for their return by defending our national forests and wild areas and by advocating for grazing reform to help native species such as Elk who receive competition from cattle grazing on our public lands. We will continue to participate in the statewide recovery plan and will keep our members and supporters aware of those efforts.
It is not too late:
Tell the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, to abandon this misguided plan.
Science is clear that wolves have not yet fully recovered.