The fate of the Gray Wolf:

[amborin]

"Wolves do not kill humans. They are responsible for a minuscule number of livestock deaths in the West — less than domestic dogs — and there are federal and state programs specifically designed to compensate ranchers who lose stock to wolves.

To hunters, killing wolves is both an end in itself and a way of reducing their predation on elk and deer. And it is more than that. Killing a wolf is also a way of participating in the myth of the West. That myth nearly drove the species to extinction.

I would be happy to see wolves taken off the endangered species list if they were not hunted. It is that simple. Their reintroduction has been an unequivocal boon for the ecosystem — the return of a top predator to a system that is biologically unbalanced without it. There is more than enough game for wolves and humans to share. There are adequate protections for ranchers. There is every good reason to try genuine coexistence. No one shoots a wolf to keep from going hungry.

So far the political pressure in the West is too great to allow this. And that, in the end, is the trouble with Mr. Salazar’s decision. It may indeed have been based on the science, and on the numbers called for in the recovery plan. But that plan surely needs revaluation, and in any case the administration clearly was not eager to defend it. The announcement was made on a Friday (like so many Bush-era decisions) and without much warning to environmental groups. Several of those groups have now filed suit to block that delisting.

As for the wolves, they have been brought back only to be killed again. "

snip

<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13mon4.html?ref=opinion>

[villager]

1. So far, one of the Obama Administration's worst moments

and one that confirms every advance fear about appointing rancher Ken "Cows First!" Salazar as a protector of "wilderness..."

[earthboundmisfit]

2. Salazar was a crappy choice for Sec. of Interior, IMO -

and the most vulnerable creatures & places will suffer for his selection.:-(

[anonymous171]

9. On the plus side, it did take him out of the senate. nt

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

3. Yep

My dogs' herding trainer says he doesn't mind the coyotes as much as people who let their dogs run free. He says a coyote will take a sheep and devour the whole thing. He had a pack of pet dogs (not feral ones, mind you) kill/maim about 40 sheep last year. They just attacked for fun, and he had to go out and shoot a bunch of the ones they didn't kill. They weren't doing it to survive, they were just killing for fun.

[roody]

4. k and r

[lonestarnot]

5. Salazar sucks the wrong ass and President Obama should have known that.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. Is there a way we can protest these decisions?

Any way we can't stop any more mistakes?

[amborin]

10. perhaps 'defenders of wildlife' has a petition, i'm not aware

[glinda]

7. There are petitions out there. Just google. I think wolf killings are related also

to right-wing religious people equating wolves with the devil. They are also a Native American symbol. There is a lot of bigotry, hate and stupidity as well as NRA "want to hunt more" people behind this.

[Chulanowa]

8. It's jealousy

People can't stand the thought of an animal being allowed to kill their deer. You see this in the Alaskan justification for wolf-culls - Hunters are afraid that the wolves will bring down the deer with the really big antlers that the hunters want to hang in their dens to mask their own lack of virility.

So, they exterminate the wolves and the cougars and the bears, the top predators who "threaten" human dominance of the herds - and then these hunters come in and blast away all the healthiest animals in the herd, and get very confused when all they're left with are skinny spike bucks.

Myself, I've hunted, but only practically - that is, I've lived on subsistence. I have absolutely no respect for the dumbfucks who are looking for a big rack of antlers, who think they are entitled to more than the other animals that find deer or goat tasty, and all these otehr shitweeds that pass themselves off as "hunters"

[amborin]

11. here's Defenders of Wildlife's website on the gray wolves delisting:

<http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/press_releases_folder/2009/04_01_2009_wolves_back_in_the_crosshairs_after_salazar_decision_to_remove_federal_protection_in_the_northern_rockies.php>

but doesn't seem to have any new action items

[XemaSab]

12. As a professional consulting biologist

the ESA was not designed to protect species forever.

Once the recovery numbers are met, the species should be delisted.

Don't get me wrong, the species should be fully protected, but if the science says the population is recovered, then delisting is the right move.

[amborin]

14. except 2/3 of the current population will be hunted

[amborin]

13. here's one petition i found: please sign if you wish:

<http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-gray-wolves>

[ShareTheWoods]

15. It's a pure emotion thing. The hunting aspect is the only driver

The wolves have recovered and it's time to delist. If huting them is against ones sensibilities then don't hunt them.

[G_j]

16. this organization is probably the best

http://www.defenders.org/index.php

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2009
Contact(s) Suzanne Stone, [phone]; [phone] Erin McCallum, [phone]; [phone]

Wolves back in the crosshairs after Salazar decision to remove federal protection in the Northern Rockies


WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, the rule removing wolves in the Northern Rockies from the list of endangered and threatened species is expected to be published in the Federal Register. It will take effect on May 4, after which wolves throughout Idaho, Montana, and parts of Utah, Oregon and Washington will no longer receive any protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The following is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president for Defenders of Wildlife:

"We're on the eve of a tragic event in the history of the conservation of endangered species. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision to adopt the Bush administration's plan to remove Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in the Northern Rockies is a loss for the wolves, a loss for their ecosystems and a loss for sound science serving as the backbone of the Endangered Species Act.

"Wolves will once again be in the crosshairs to be needlessly killed starting May 4. Under the inadequate federal delisting rule, as much as two-thirds of the current Northern Rockies wolf population can be killed. Defenders of Wildlife will not stand by and let this go unchallenged.

"We turn now to the federal courts to save these wolves and ensure the future of wolf restoration in the region. It is deeply disappointing that Secretary Salazar missed a major opportunity to work with conservationists, scientists, ranchers, hunters and other stakeholders to resolve the issues that must be resolved to ensure that wolf recovery continues and the requirements of the Endangered Species Act are met. Instead, he has forced us to return to the courts to again challenge the same flawed plan that was rejected by the courts just last summer."

The following is a statement by Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies Representative for Defenders of Wildlife:

"We look forward to celebrating the transfer of wolves to state management but not until a federal delisting rule is developed that ensures the future of wolves in the region. This plan ignores current science on what wolves need to maintain a healthy population over the long term. It also ignores the hundreds of thousands of citizens who have asked for a better plan."

###

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.