The fight to Save America’s Wolves
Posted by msterilinn on Apr 29, 2008
Let’s take a few moments to check in and see how we are doing in our fight to save America’s Wolves.
Yesterday, Defenders of Wildlife and eleven other conservation groups filed a lawsuit in federal court and asked for an emergency injunction to stop the slaughter of Greater Yellowstone’s wolves and restore some common sense to wolf management in the Northern Rockies.
The case, Defenders of Wildlife vs. Hall, is our second legal challenge since January aimed at preserving one of the greatest conservation victories in the last century — the return of wolves to the Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone.
These legal efforts wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous support of caring supporters like you who have made more than 8,000 individual contributions to help support our work over the last weeks and months.
But our fight isn’t limited to the courts. Since the Bush Administration ended protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies, at least fourteen wolves have been killed in Wyoming — the most of any state in the region.
Help change the political climate that is driving the wolf slaughter. Call the Wyoming Governor’s Office at (307) 777-7434 and deliver this message:
“My name is ((Your Name)) and I’m calling from ((Your State)) because I’m deeply concerned about the widely reported killing of wolves in your state and urge your office to help ensure a lasting future for wolves in Wyoming by…
Ending the shoot-on-sight policy that is now in effect in 88% of the state.
Releasing a public statement urging restraint in wolf management
Providing a full account of the number of wolves killed in Wyoming.
The return of wolves to the Northern Rockies was an amazing conservation achievement, but inadequate state protections for wolves in Wyoming and lax reporting of wolf kills are hurting Wyoming’s image and threatening an achievement that should be a point of pride for the state.”
Once you’re done, please take a moment to let us know that you called. Also, please remember to be civil on your call. Comments that are overly emotional or threatening can be disregarded by officials (or worse, used to undermine our efforts to save wolves).
Phone calls will be most effective, but you can also email Governor Freudenthal through his website.
Stay tuned for more ways to help, and as always, thank you for taking the time to make a difference.
P.S. We’ve almost met our May 16th fundraising goal for the Yellowstone Wolf Defense Fund. You can make your tax-deductible contribution online now via our secure website or you can call 1-800-385-9712 to make your contribution by phone.
Protections lifted… Wolves are being killed!
Posted by msterilinn on Apr 24, 2008
It truly sickens me to hear about wolves being hunted down and killed! So many people have worked so hard to bring awareness to the caring public, and at times like this it seems all for nothing. What is it that makes some people believe they can dominate nature in such a cruel way? Lifting protections that took so much to bring about in the first place, and are quite necessary to save these beautiful creatures, is simple insanity! We have better things to do with our time than promoting the death of a species. There are so many positive ways we can create and promote Life instead. It truly makes me wonder why the Creator placed us on this beautiful Earth when so many humans are so set upon destroying all that has been placed beside and around us. And to think that the first to die with the lift of these protections was a wolf who has survived in the wild against all odds is a tragedy beyond belief, and brings so much sadness to my heart.
I will pass along a sad, yet so very important, message I have recieved…
Dear Teri,
The killing in the Greater Yellowstone region has already begun.
One of the first victims: Wolf 253M — a celebrity wolf, affectionately known as “Limpy.”
Limpy was many things to many people – to wolf-watchers, he was the hobbling member of Yellowstone’s famous Druid Peak Pack. To Utahans, he was the first wolf to be seen in the state for more than 70 years.
But wolf 253M’s celebrity didn’t save him in the end. Limpy and two other wolves were shot dead in an elk feeding ground, part of Wyoming’s brutal shoot-on-sight policy that covers virtually the entire state.
Limpy’s death was just the beginning. It’s been 26 days since wolves were stripped of federal protections in the Greater Yellowstone area — and at least 17 wolves have already been killed in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. And there are surely more to come.
Officials in Idaho changed their state law on the day wolves were delisted, making it far easier for anyone to kill wolves near livestock or domestic animals.
In Wyoming, state officials stripped all protection from wolves in 88% of the state. Locals have organized weekend eradication “wolf hunts” to kill any wolf that they find. One group tracked a wolf for 35 miles on snowmobiles before shooting it dead.[1]
Your contribution will help us…
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Fight for our wolves in court;
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Confront flawed state wolf policies with science and common sense;
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Help ranchers reduce conflicts with wolves using non-lethal methods;
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Debunk the myths and misinformation about wolves through on-the-ground education and outreach; and
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Much, much more…
Will you make a tax-deductible emergency donation right now to help?
We can win the battle to save our wolves. But we can’t do it without your help.
 |
Sincerely, |
P.S. You can make your tax-deductible contribution online now via our secure website or you can call 1-800-385-9712 to make your contribution by phone.
~ Dance of Wolves ~
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 31, 2008
I truly Love Wolves and wanted to share this video…
If you wish to learn more and see how you can help protect and save these Beautiful, Noble and wild creatures, please visit Defenders of Wildlife today!
Alaskan Wolves in extreme Danger!!
Posted by msterilinn on Mar 13, 2008
Yet again I am totally outraged at recent developments in the brutal acts against our beloved Wolf brothers and sisters. I cannot imagine how man can be so cruel and bloodthirsty in their acts of violence towards these beautiful and noble creatures. I will share a letter I recieved from Defenders of Wildlife…
Dear Teri,
At least 56 wolves are dead in Alaska – the latest victims of the state’s brutal, unpopular and needless aerial killing program. And the death toll will continue to climb as spring’s longer days make it easier to kill wolves using airplanes… and even helicopters.
Worse yet, even as Alaskans prepare to vote in August on aerial gunning, Governor Sarah Palin and the legislature have launched a stealth campaign to maintain this brutal practice.
Donate $50.00, $30.00 or whatever you can afford to run television ads through next week and save these wolves and other wildlife.
Alaska’s politicians have stooped to new lows in their efforts to kill wolves. With the help of the Alaska Outdoor Council and other lobbyists, Palin and other politicians are quietly pushing bills in the state legislature to deny Alaskans their right to vote on key wildlife issues — bills intended to stop this summer’s vote on to limit ending aerial gunning of wolves and bears!
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund has launched an all-out campaign with TV ads, radio ads, educational mailers and phone calls to protect the rights of Alaska’s voters, especially the more than 56,000 Alaskans who petitioned the state to put aerial gunning on the ballot in August.
These efforts are already making a difference. Since Monday, more than 10,000 Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund supporters from all across the country have emailed their outrage to Governor Sarah Palin over her introduction of these anti-democratic, pro-aerial gunning bills.
And people from all over Alaska are calling and writing their state Representatives and Senators, urging them to oppose these awful bills and let Alaskans decide how their wildlife is to be managed.
But we can’t do this without you. Your donation of $50.00, $30.00 or whatever you can afford is crucial to run our TV ad through next week and stop aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska.
Sincerely,
 |
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P.S. Just last week, Alaska’s Board of Game voted to expand aerial gunning again — this time, by allowing public permits to use helicopters to kill wolves near Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Please help us end this awful practice — make a secure online donation now or call 1-800-425-4632 to contribute by phone.
Still fighting to Save the Wolves of Yellowstone!
Posted by msterilinn on Feb 22, 2008
This is a battle we will not back down from! Even though yesterday, as of Noon Eastern time, the Bush/Cheney Administration eliminated vital Endangered Species Act protections for hundreds of wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies, we refuse to give up!
If you are wondering how you can help the fight to save these beautiful, noble and VITAL creatures, look into your situation and either donate, or let your voice be heard. Here is an example of what Defenders of Wildlife will do..
“Your donation will provide vital funding to help support our legal advocacy to stop the de-listing. It will also support the efforts of our on-the-ground staff in Idaho, Montana and across the country who are working tirelessly to save wolves and other wildlife every day by…
* Hiring range riders and paying for non lethal wolf control to reduce conflicts between wolves and ranchers;
* Motivating supporters to submit nearly half of the roughly 280,000 comments opposing the de-listing decision during the official public comment period;[1]
* Mobilizing conservationists to attend local meetings and public hearings and speak out for common-sense wolf management;
* And, much, much more.
In fact, by the time federal officials announced the de-listing, thousands of caring Defenders supporters and activists were already hard at work.
By our estimates, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received 5,000-20,000 phone calls from supporters who were outraged by the decision to allow states to kill as many as 70% [2] of the wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.
I wish federal officials could hear from each and every one of the thousands and thousands who tried to call and tell them how much they care about these wolves. But I want you to know that we are committed to making sure that your voices are heard on this important issue. And, together, we will win this fight!!”
All of Earths creatures are Sacred. Please take a few moments to visit a recent post Wolves and Trees… the Balance of Nature and see for yourself the vital relation between Wolves and the surrounding ecosystem.
**Note -
[1] E-Rulemaking Research Group, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
[2] State wolf plans have been modified to require that minimum populations of 150 wolves be maintained, not 100 as had been the case before.
Wolves in danger yet again.. we can help!
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 24, 2008
Even though wolves are meant to remain protected under the Endangered Species Act, and despite the opposition of tens of thousands of Defenders supporters, the Fish & Wildlife Service just made it much easier to kill wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies region. This is totally unnaceptable! Wolves play a very important role in Nature, and all of Earths creatures are Sacred, besides.
Wildlife officials will be able to shoot, trap and kill endangered wolves — even those that wander from the safety of Yellowstone National Park and other protected areas. The states would only need to prove that wolves are a “major cause” of the inability of elk and deer to meet state management goals. Wolves could be killed even if they only have an effect on how elk herds move or behave — not just if they reduce herd numbers.
Please let your voice be heard on this outrage! Help stop this slaughter by passing along this message, and writing a message to Secretary Kempthorne as soon as possible. This is very important, as wolves may be slaughtered as soon as March. We can help save these noble creatures before it is too late.
Write to Secretary Kempthorne to express your outrage today!
Wolves and Trees… the Balance of Nature
Posted by msterilinn on Dec 19, 2007
Have you ever wondered the role of the Wolf in the Balance of Nature? The Creator placed everything on this planet for a reason. There are important roles to be played out by each and every creature from the tiniest microbe and insect, to the largest mammal. As intelligent beings on this Living planet, it is our responsibility to learn and understand how to nurture this Balance in Nature, and not destroy it. The Wolf has an important role and is Sacred to the Creator. My love for wolves has led me down many paths. Most recently I found an interesting article about the relation between Wolves and Trees, and I would like to share this with you. Please note that this is simply one small example of how the Wolf fits into the ecosystem.
‘Wolves linked to tree recovery’
By MIKE STARK
Reintroduced wolves appear to be playing a major role in the resurgence of streamside trees and shrubs in certain portions of in Yellowstone National Park, according to two new studies by scientists at Oregon State University.
When wolves were absent from the park, from the 1920s until the mid-1990s, elk grazed heavily and repeatedly on young cottonwoods, aspen and willows. Since wolves have returned, the elk have been forced to be more mobile, which has meant easing up on certain feeding spots.
“Wolves are the top of the food chain,” Bill Ripple, an OSU forestry professor who has been studying aspen and other species in Yellowstone since 1997, said Tuesday. “Wolves affect elk and elk affect species like aspen.”
In recent years, young cottonwoods and willows have been especially robust in areas where elk may have once browsed but now feel the threat of wolves, including places where they have few ways to escape, Ripple said.
“If they’re boxed in against a canyon wall or a cutbank on a river — those seemed to be the places which are showing more growth,” Ripple said.
Meanwhile, low-risk sites for elk are still being consumed and show little growth, according to the studies.
The findings of the studies were recently published in the journals Ecological Applications and Forest Ecology and Management.
The idea behind the studies is to examine the effect that wolves are having in the Yellowstone ecosystem beyond simple predation on elk and other prey.
“With the restoration of wolves in Yellowstone, for the first time we have the full suite of top carnivores,” Ripple said. “That is a grand experiment for us to take notice of what the connections are between different animals and plants.”
Ripple acknowledged that the results of the studies are still “somewhat preliminary” because wolves have only been back in Yellowstone since 1995. Still, researchers say it’s hard to ignore the hypothesis that there’s a strong connection between the return of wolves and the revival of certain plants and trees.
“The data show a clear and remarkable linkage between the presence of wolves and the health of an entire streamside ecosystem,” said an announcement from OSU about the studies.
In some areas on wintering range for elk, researchers found hundreds of short cottonwood seedlings among cottonwoods that were 70 years old or older, but very few trees that had not been chewed off before they passed the seedling stage.
“Long-term elk browsing has been preventing any seedling from getting taller,” Robert Beschta, a forestry professor emeritus at OSU, said about one area along the Lamar River.
Scientists said they were able to see a clear connection between the removal of wolves in late 1800s and early 1900s and a decline in species such as cottonwoods and aspen.
“I considered a variety of potential reasons that might explain the historical decline of cottonwoods that began in the 1920s and have continued up to the last couple of years,” Beschta said in a statement Tuesday. “I looked at climate change, lack of floods, fire suppression, natural stand dynamics, and numbers of elk. But none of those factors really explained the problem. Ultimately, it became clear that wolves were the answer.”
Without fear of wolves, the elk were allowed to browse anywhere they liked for decades, the scientists said. Killing off cottonwoods, willows and other streamside shrubs allowed for increased erosion and effects on birds, insects and other wildlife, they said.
“Before the wolves came back, it was pretty clear that in some areas we were heading toward an outright extinction of cottonwoods,” Beschta said.
Streamside shrubs and cottonwoods in places such as the Lamar Valley have rebounded since the reintroduction of wolves, growing taller and becoming more prevalent, the scientists said.
“There’s this domino effect from wolves to elk to trees,” Ripple said.
The OSU researchers caution that their studies aren’t an encompassing look at Yellowstone and the effects of wolves, but it is an indication that the wolves appear to have stopped a major decline in the survival rates of cottonwoods and willows.
“One point that should not be missed is this is actually great news for the potential recovery of cottonwood trees and mature willows in Yellowstone National Park,” Ripple said. “We now have a pretty good idea why they were in decline and the return of wolves should help pave the way for their recovery. Even though it may take a very long time, for a change it looks
like we’re headed in the right direction.”
Please Visit Defenders of Wildlife to learn more facts about the Wolf and how you can help
Adopt a Wolf.. a wonderful Gift!
Posted by msterilinn on Nov 20, 2007
No matter the season, a gift from the heart to help those in desperate need brings such a great feeling. As I live and breathe my goals each day are to do something worthwhile to help the Earth’s wild creatures. There is a great danger to our four legged friends, the Gray Wolf. If we do not put a stop to aerial gunning in Alaska, these beautiful creatures will soon only be found in the books of History. This is very sad indeed, as these animals have a right to share this Earth alongside us, as part of the great Balance. Who are we to question Creation in deciding what may live and what we must drive into extinction? Has man lost all sense of honor and can no longer tell right from wrong? This is so obviously wrong to me, and my heart goes out to the Wolf, among many others suffering through human greed. There is no honor in killing animals in this way. Unless they have gone rogue, and are causing harm to others, they have every right to live just as you and I. Should we begin hunting humans because there are simply too many of us, and we no longer wish to share the land? As that would be abominally wrong, so it the senseless hunting of those struggling to survive in the rapidly dwindling natural world.
All Life is Sacred!
I am asking people to look into their hearts and consider adopting a Wolf. Or perhaps another animal of your choice. If this is something you feel drawn to, please visit the Wildlife Adoption Center to Adopt a Wolf.
Adopt a Gray Wolf Family and you’ll receive a big 17”, super-cuddly plush wolf toy, a personalized Certificate of Adoption with an attractive 5″x7″ wolf photo and a fact sheet full of great information about these magnificent animals. You can also choose to receive a Kids Wildlife Activities book for that special young person in your life.
As mentioned on the Wildlife Adoption Center adoption site, here is how things stand among the Wolf Family…
Once virtually eliminated from the lower 48 United States, wolves have made an incredible comeback since Defenders and others successfully fought for their re-introduction into Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
But these and other wolves in America face a highly uncertain future, as plans are readied to remove vital protections and clear the way for the massacre of hundreds of wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area and the American Southwest.
In Alaska, a state-sanctioned slaughter from the skies continues as aerial gunners shoot wolves from aircraft, or chase them to exhaustion, land and shoot wolves at point-blank range.
In the Greater Yellowstone region, one of the greatest conservation victories in decades could be destroyed as federal officials plan to lift critical protections for wolves — and turn over management duties to states that want to massacre hundreds of wolves within their borders.
In the Southwest, fewer than 60 wolves struggle to maintain a foothold in the wild as anti-wolf forces rally to eliminate their very existence.
But by Adopting a Gray Wolf Family, you’ll support our work to save these magnificent animals. We’re urging Congress to pass vital legislation to put an end to Alaska’s aerial gunning program — and prevent programs like it from spreading to states like Idaho and Wyoming.
We’re fighting to keep critical federal protections in place for gray wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies region so that wolves will be protected for future generations. We’re on the ground in Arizona and New Mexico, countering anti-wolf misinformation to ensure that wolves have a future in the Southwest.
But our work doesn’t stop there. We continue to work with ranchers to compensate them for livestock losses attributed to wolves and to find ways to prevent conflicts between wolves and livestock before they occur.
Whether you Adopt a Gray Wolf Family, Adopt a Gray Wolf, Adopt a Gray Wolf Pack or Adopt a Gray Wolf Mom & Pup, you can take pride in knowing you’re doing your part to protect America’s majestic wolves for future generations to cherish.
Visit the Wildlife Adoption Center Today!
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“A new business opportunity can become a good future investment plan if not started on loans. Try and abstain from unnecessary use of your creditcard too.”
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My Love for Wolves…
Posted by msterilinn on Nov 9, 2007
Yet again, I am reminded of the cruelty and selfishness of mankind. Of course, not all of us are intentionally wicked.. some of us only create unintentional harm. Yet those of us who realize the impact we have on the natural world choose to make a change for the better. And we love to encourage others to pay attention and do the same.
I have recieved another letter concerning a creature which is beloved and admired from my point of view. The Wolf. Why is man working so hard to rid the Earth of these beautiful animals? Can we not share the land with those which were placed here by the Creator, just the same as us? Mother Earth is home to all of us, and we should step into the role as Stewards and not Destroyers.
As quoted directly from the Defenders of Wildlife webpages.. “Alaska is the only state that allows private hunters to participate in the cruel and barbaric practice of aerial gunning of wolves. Alaskan wolves can be shot from airplanes — or chased to the point of exhaustion, then shot at close range. Across large areas of Alaska, no wolf is off limits — not even pregnant females. More than six hundred wolves have been killed over the past four winters with plans to target hundreds more in the coming years and open up new areas to aerial control.”
This is not, of course, the only place where wolves are being hunted into extinction. Yet this rips into my heart at this moment, so it is what I will ask from my heart for folks to step up and take action against!
Please take a few moments to visit Defenders of Wildlife today and sign the petition. If you are not in a position to donate that is fine, yet at the least we can let those in power know we will not stand for such wanton murder of our four-legged brothers and sisters we call Wolf. Little does man know what havoc is created when the Balance is destroyed…
Please help Save Oregons Wolves!
Posted by msterilinn on Apr 2, 2007
There has not been a Confirmed wolf pack in the state of Oregon in over 50 years. So in December of 2005 the Oregon Fish And Wildlife department wrote a management plan which stated wolves would be allowed to cross from Idaho into Oregon, and they would not be removed. Recently on January 29th 2007 it was announced that the Rocky Mountain wolf would be taken off the Endangered Species List. Populations in Idaho and Wyoming had recovered very well so it was logical for them to be removed. However, when the Rocky Mountain wolf was delisted in those states, unfortunately it included Northeastern Oregon. We believe it is wrong for the wolf to not be protected in Oregon, especially when there are no confirmed packs even in the state. Please sign the petition to push the Department Of Fish And Wildlife to relist the wolf in Oregon so they’ll have a fighting chance.
SIGN THE PETITION BY CLICKING HERE!!
Marcus
STW
please repost
Let’s help stop the Alaska Wolf Massacre…
Posted by msterilinn on Jan 19, 2007
Young ones are orphaned and left to starve to death without the protection and teachings given to them by their fallen pack members.
For more information… ” Please Visit this Site Today”
Together we can help stop this Massacre of Alaskan Wolves
before it is too late!! Every moment we hesitate can mean
another precious Life lost.. “Visit Defenders of Wildlife
to take action Today!”
Let Congress know we will NOT tolerate this cruel and
unjust killing of our Wolf brothers and sisters. Not only
is this wrong, it is another example of messing up our
ecosystems and the balance of Nature.
I would like to share Native American Legends and Stories.
If you have stories or legends passed down from your Ancestors,
I would be most happy to have you share them here or post your
comments. We can learn much from the creatures who share this
Earth with us. There is a reason the Creator placed all that
lives upon this planet, and we must remember to respect this.
