The Fate of Oregon’s Wolves under Consideration: On Tuesday, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife launched the start of a formal review to determine if wolves in Oregon can be removed from the state list of endangered species. Wildlife officials will meet next Friday, April 24 to determine if there is sufficient information to move forward, although an official decision is not expected until August of this year. While Oregon’s wolf population continues to show signs of progress — no doubt a result of the state’s continued commitment to implementing balanced management policies for the species — the population is still incredibly fragile and by no means fully recovered. At last count, there were only 77 wolves in the entire state. Removing wolves from the list of state protected species will make it easier for local landowners to kill wolves they see as a threat to their livestock. And while we’re thrilled to see that Oregon’s wolf population has met certain recovery goals — for example, Oregon has maintained at least four breeding pairs for three consecutive years — the health of the wolf population needs to be evaluated as a whole. You can be sure that Defenders staff is working with state officials to ensure they conduct a neutral and unbiased status review to assess wolves’ overall population health. Stay tuned for updates on this subject in the next few weeks.
Congressman Beyer Takes a Strong Stand on Wolves: We were thrilled to see Representative Beyer’s video message to his Virginia constituents this week where he reaffirmed his opposition to a national wolf delisting and his lifelong love for the species. In his video, the congressman says that he has heard from an overwhelming number of his constituents who’ve asked him to fight for wolves’ continued protection under the Endangered Species Act. Beyer’s support is just what we need in Congress when congressional proposals to delist the species in certain states are more and more common. Check out Rep. Beyer’s video here. Show your support by commenting on the video, or by sharing the video with your own Representative, encouraging him or her to follow Beyer’s lead and to take a stand for wolves!
Save Red Wolves from Extinction
Petition: Click here!
Target: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel M. Ashe
Goal: Do not remove the red wolf recovery program.
Red wolves are a unique species of wolf, as they are one of the rarest and smallest of the wolf population in the United States. Known for their tawny red coats, these wolves’ numbers were decimated thanks to humans. With only a hundred of these creatures in North Carolina, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service thinks this predator’s recovery program should come to an end. Tell the organization’s director Daniel M. Ashe that the red wolf should remain in the recovery program for several more years.
In 1967, the red wolf was deemed an endangered species by the United States. Humans had destroyed a significant portion of this predator’s habitat, and a hunting program had all but decimated their numbers. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 75 to 100 red wolves left in the wild. A recovery program in North Carolina gives the species the space to roam and procreate, but if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to take away this program, the red wolves are doomed.
The recovery program has been deemed a success, but with only 100 or so of these wolves in the wild, these numbers are not high enough to repopulate. The recovery program still needs to continue for several more years and the Fish and Wildlife Service needs to understand this. Sign this petition and tell Director Daniel M. Ashe that the red wolf recovery program needs to be maintained for the survival of these creatures.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Daniel M. Ashe,
The United States keeps 200 captive red wolves to ensure that this species doesn’t go extinct, but there are only 100 of these wolves in the wild. The wild wolves live in North Carolina under federally protected land. Saving these wolves proved to be difficult. Biologists didn’t want the red wolves to be a mixture of wolf and coyote, they wanted a pure breed. So they waited until enough captive red wolves had been born before starting the recovery process. The program has experienced success, with 75 to 100 red wolves in the wild.
If you end this program, the red wolves will not have a chance. A hundred red wolves will not make the species survive. There has to be more of them. Therefore, I’m urging you to keep this recovery program for several more years. Humans almost brought the red wolf to extinction; it is up to us to ensure that they do not disappear for good.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: HOTNstock via Deviantart
No animal should have to endure this fate.
Red wolves are on the brink of extinction with fewer than 100 animals surviving in a small part of eastern North Carolina. Despite this, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the agency in charge of ensuring this wolf’s survival, appears to be quietly walking away from their red wolf recovery program, dooming these wolves to extinction in the wild.
Urgent: Tell FWS not to give up on red wolf recovery!
After being hunted to the brink of extinction, FWS was entrusted to help save these shy wolves. Yet last year, 10 percent of the red wolf population was killed, and another five percent lay dead so far this year.
What’s worse, key staff vacancies are going unfilled at the FWS Red Wolf Recovery Program, critical field work is being skipped, and most telling of all – there has not been a single red wolf released into the wild in years.
Under pressure from North Carolina special interests, FWS appears to be walking away from this recovery program and all red wolf recovery efforts. You may recall Defenders went to court last year to successfully stop night hunting of coyotes in red wolf habitat. The two animals are strikingly similar in appearance which has led to dozens of “accidental” red wolf shootings.
Defenders will take whatever action is necessary to stop this tragedy.
We’ve simply come too far to give up on these magnificent creatures - there is no excuse for walking away now.
End Wildife Slaughter Funded By Your Tax Dollars
You may be shocked to learn that a secretive federal program is using your hard-earned tax dollars to wage a war on wildlife.
Wildlife Services, a program housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spent $57 million taxpayer dollars last fiscal year to kill millions of animals at the behest of Big Ag. You can be a voice for wildlife. Tell the federal government not to spend your tax dollars slaughtering wildlife.
Right now, a Wildlife Services agent could be setting toxic M-44s, lures primed to shoot poison into the mouth of any animal unlucky enough to be curious. Wildlife Services agents are spreading traps on your public lands, poised to spring shut on the foot of any animal that steps in the wrong spot: a coyote, a bobcat, or even a domestic dog. This extreme cruelty is paid for with your tax dollars.
Sign today and do your part to protest this misuse of your tax dollars.
You can help defund this destructive and wasteful program.
Contact your congressional representatives and ask them to make sure your tax money does not fund this destructive, out-of-control program. Defund Wildlife Services.
Congressman Beyer Takes a Strong Stand on Wolves: We were thrilled to see Representative Beyer’s video message to his Virginia constituents this week where he reaffirmed his opposition to a national wolf delisting and his lifelong love for the species. In his video, the congressman says that he has heard from an overwhelming number of his constituents who’ve asked him to fight for wolves’ continued protection under the Endangered Species Act. Beyer’s support is just what we need in Congress when congressional proposals to delist the species in certain states are more and more common. Check out Rep. Beyer’s video here. Show your support by commenting on the video, or by sharing the video with your own Representative, encouraging him or her to follow Beyer’s lead and to take a stand for wolves!
Save Red Wolves from Extinction
Petition: Click here!
Target: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel M. Ashe
Goal: Do not remove the red wolf recovery program.
Red wolves are a unique species of wolf, as they are one of the rarest and smallest of the wolf population in the United States. Known for their tawny red coats, these wolves’ numbers were decimated thanks to humans. With only a hundred of these creatures in North Carolina, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service thinks this predator’s recovery program should come to an end. Tell the organization’s director Daniel M. Ashe that the red wolf should remain in the recovery program for several more years.
In 1967, the red wolf was deemed an endangered species by the United States. Humans had destroyed a significant portion of this predator’s habitat, and a hunting program had all but decimated their numbers. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 75 to 100 red wolves left in the wild. A recovery program in North Carolina gives the species the space to roam and procreate, but if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to take away this program, the red wolves are doomed.
The recovery program has been deemed a success, but with only 100 or so of these wolves in the wild, these numbers are not high enough to repopulate. The recovery program still needs to continue for several more years and the Fish and Wildlife Service needs to understand this. Sign this petition and tell Director Daniel M. Ashe that the red wolf recovery program needs to be maintained for the survival of these creatures.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Daniel M. Ashe,
The United States keeps 200 captive red wolves to ensure that this species doesn’t go extinct, but there are only 100 of these wolves in the wild. The wild wolves live in North Carolina under federally protected land. Saving these wolves proved to be difficult. Biologists didn’t want the red wolves to be a mixture of wolf and coyote, they wanted a pure breed. So they waited until enough captive red wolves had been born before starting the recovery process. The program has experienced success, with 75 to 100 red wolves in the wild.
If you end this program, the red wolves will not have a chance. A hundred red wolves will not make the species survive. There has to be more of them. Therefore, I’m urging you to keep this recovery program for several more years. Humans almost brought the red wolf to extinction; it is up to us to ensure that they do not disappear for good.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: HOTNstock via Deviantart
No animal should have to endure this fate.
Red wolves are on the brink of extinction with fewer than 100 animals surviving in a small part of eastern North Carolina. Despite this, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the agency in charge of ensuring this wolf’s survival, appears to be quietly walking away from their red wolf recovery program, dooming these wolves to extinction in the wild.
Urgent: Tell FWS not to give up on red wolf recovery!
After being hunted to the brink of extinction, FWS was entrusted to help save these shy wolves. Yet last year, 10 percent of the red wolf population was killed, and another five percent lay dead so far this year.
What’s worse, key staff vacancies are going unfilled at the FWS Red Wolf Recovery Program, critical field work is being skipped, and most telling of all – there has not been a single red wolf released into the wild in years.
Under pressure from North Carolina special interests, FWS appears to be walking away from this recovery program and all red wolf recovery efforts. You may recall Defenders went to court last year to successfully stop night hunting of coyotes in red wolf habitat. The two animals are strikingly similar in appearance which has led to dozens of “accidental” red wolf shootings.
Defenders will take whatever action is necessary to stop this tragedy.
We’ve simply come too far to give up on these magnificent creatures - there is no excuse for walking away now.
End Wildife Slaughter Funded By Your Tax Dollars
You may be shocked to learn that a secretive federal program is using your hard-earned tax dollars to wage a war on wildlife.
Wildlife Services, a program housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spent $57 million taxpayer dollars last fiscal year to kill millions of animals at the behest of Big Ag. You can be a voice for wildlife. Tell the federal government not to spend your tax dollars slaughtering wildlife.
Right now, a Wildlife Services agent could be setting toxic M-44s, lures primed to shoot poison into the mouth of any animal unlucky enough to be curious. Wildlife Services agents are spreading traps on your public lands, poised to spring shut on the foot of any animal that steps in the wrong spot: a coyote, a bobcat, or even a domestic dog. This extreme cruelty is paid for with your tax dollars.
Sign today and do your part to protest this misuse of your tax dollars.
You can help defund this destructive and wasteful program.
Contact your congressional representatives and ask them to make sure your tax money does not fund this destructive, out-of-control program. Defund Wildlife Services.
