PeacehqHome
FootPrints For Peace Home
|
|
| Navigation Bar Submit Feedback |
Wolves Win as Administration Backs Down
In a dramatic turnaround, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is withdrawing its plan to strip gray wolves off endangered species protection in the Northern Rockies. The decision is a major victory for the Yellowstone region’s wolf population, which was facing a state-approved slaughter, and for hundreds of thousands of NRDC Member and online activists who fought the Bush Administration’s “License to Kill” plan. “This is a red-letter day for the Endangered Species Act,” said Senior Wildlife Advocate Louisa Wilcox. “Th return of wolves to the Rockies is one of America’s greatest conservation success stories, and now that story will continue.” Last March, despite widespread public and scientific opposition, the Bush Administration declared the wolf populations of Greater Yellowstone and Central Idaho “fully recovered.” It then handed off responsibility for managing the wolves to Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, all of which had long-standing plans to kill wolves en masse. A bloodbath endued, with more that a hundred wolves slaughtered by state agents and hunters on as many days. NRDC, Earth Justice and 11 other conservation groups raced to court and won a reprieve: a temporary injunction that halted the killing until the full case could be heard. A drawn-out courtroom battle was expected. But in the latest stunning reversal, the Bush Administration threw in the towel instead and will now continue protecting the region’s wolves under the Endangered Species Act. “They must have faced up to the fact that their case would never hold up in court,” said Wilcox. “They ignored the best scientific evidence showing that wolf populations have not fully recovered.” Indeed, the most recent estimate concludes that those populations have actually declined. Thanks to our victory, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho will now be forced to call off a massive public hunt, slated for this fall, that could have exterminated hundreds of wolves. Information taken from the NRDC news-letter NOV/DEC 2008. Please visit their web site at www.nrdc.org. |
|
|
Peacehq Home |
|
|
FootPrints For Peace Home |
Feedback |
|
Help |
 Jeff |
 Tyler |
 Larry |
 Jim |
 Marcus |
 Jason |
 K-A |
 Ray |
 Hattie |
 Yusha |
 "MadCow" |
|
|