Disturbing recent reports suggest Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is supporting and even promoting legislative language that would remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for all gray wolves in the Northern Rockies.
Hundreds of wolves -- maybe more than a thousand -- could die because of this dangerous legislative language.
Not only would wolves lose ESA protections, they would be beyond the reach of the ESA protections forever unless the Secretary, at his sole discretion, chooses to restore them. Under this language we would have no ability to petition for these protections in the future, no matter how critically threatened wolves become.
The very foundation of the ESA, the bedrock conservation law in this country, is threatened.
If we act today we can still stop the enactment of this damaging language. Tell your senators to oppose this plan and keep Northern Rockies wolves under ESA protections.
Dear [Decision Maker],
As a supporter of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and someone who cares about wolves, I strongly urge you to reject any legislative proposal by the Secretary of the Interior to eliminate life-saving protections for wolves.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
Recent reports suggest that Secretary Salazar is prepared to agree to, and is actively promoting, legislative language that would eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, including those in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and portions of Washington, Oregon and Utah.
Not only would wolves be delisted, they would also be put beyond the reach of the ESA forever unless the Secretary, at his sole discretion, chooses to restore them to the list of threatened or endangered species.
Even worse, under the language, there would be no ability for the American public to petition for these protections in the future... regardless of how egregious state wolf management plans become.
This proposal is anti-science, anti-wolf and anti-democratic. I strongly urge you to do everything in your power to oppose it.
Thank you for considering my comments.
