ENDANGERED SPECIES - the Bush approach

[Jeffersons Ghost]

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement agents confirmed poisoning as the cause of death of a gray wolf found dead in central Idaho.

A wolf was shot and killed inside Teton National Park.

And near Banner Summit, Idaho, witnesses said they saw a man shoot a wolf on the road, even though two vehicles were in plain sight.

It seems humans are once again turning on majestic animals that have just begun to recover from the brink of extinction.

Now, with a plan to remove wolves from the endangered species list, along with a loophole proposed by President Bush, as many as 900 recently protected wolves could be slaughtered.

Incidents of heartless, illegal killings happened even when wolves were protected by the endangered species list. What will happen when they are no longer protected?

Tell Congress to oppose the Bush plans and make sure wolves are protected in the northern Rockies!

"It's going to be open season on wolves," says Natural Resources Defense Council

LIVINGSTON, Mont. (January 24, 2008) – Conservation groups say they will file a lawsuit in federal court immediately to block a rule announced today by the Bush administration that will allow the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to kill most of the threatened wolves in the Northern Rockies. The new “10(j)” rule widens a loophole in the Endangered Species Act that permits the killing of hundreds of wolves even though the animals are considered at risk of extinction.

Here's a petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/374176612?z00m=13063499

[flvegan]

1. The question is: Why will this be permitted?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

2. check the stats even here at DU

With only 39 readers so far, complacency and lack of interest spells demise for the species. If the average readers at DU (generally a VERY caring group on endangered species) aren't interested, how much interest can we expect from the general population?

[DeadManInc]

3. Save a wolf, shoot a republican

or two, or three lol!

[flvegan]

4. "...to kill wolves to protect game populations."

So, we'll kill the wolves to save animals that people can kill later. I get it.

http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/in_the_courts/legal_docket/northern_rockies_gray_wolf.php

On January 28, 2008, Defenders of Wildlife filed a complaint in Federal District Court in Montana in response to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s release of an updated regulation for the management of gray wolves in the northern Rockies (called the 10(j) rule after the section of the Endangered Species Act under which it is issued). The rule, issued on January 24, significantly reduces the protections for gray wolves in this region despite their current listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Fish & Wildlife Service claims the rule is necessary to allow states to kill wolves to protect game populations. In reality the ungulate populations that the wolves depend on (including elk and deer) are near record highs.

The complaint argues that under the rule, more than 900 wolves—over half of the population—could be unjustifiably killed. The restoration of the gray wolf in the northern Rockies is an Endangered Species Act success story, but wolf populations have only recently approached levels high enough that the Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed to delist them under the Endangered Species Act. This rule change could dramatically reduce wolf populations and set back recovery efforts in the region.

Defenders argues that changes in the 10(j) rule violate the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to properly assess whether the removal of protections required for long term wolf population viability will negatively impact the species and the surrounding Northern Rockies environment. Defenders is calling for the Fish & Wildlife Service’s inadequate Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact to be set aside and for the court to enjoin the Fish & Wildlife Service from authorizing any killing of gray wolves pursuant to the revised 10(j) rule, pending its compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. In addition, Defenders filed a 60-day notice with the Fish & Wildlife Service alleging further violations of the Endangered Species Act.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

5. thanks for expanding on it flvegan

[annabanana]

6. to the greatest page. . . n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

7. I gladly admit that I was wrong in an earlier post...

DU does still have time to care about endangered species and other causes the evening news fails to address. Thanks for your time and interest.

[annabanana]

8. evening kick. . . .n/t