Protect the Wolves of Denali National Park with Buffer Zone
- by: Dorothy Keeler
- recipient: Board of Game Member, Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Wolves Need a Buffer Zone to Survive!
Oppose proposals that eliminate a no-hunt, no-trap buffer zone on state lands adjacent to Denali National Park to protect the Toklat and Margaret wolves of Alaska. Hundreds of thousands of visitors worldwide will suffer if the buffer is eliminated.
In the last 20 years, three Denali wolf families in the eastern area of the Park have been wiped out by recreational trappers -- the Savage group in the late eighties, the highly visible Headquarters family in the mid-nineties, and the Sanctuary pack in April of 2002. The Mount Margaret pack currently occupying Sanctuary territory will likely meet this same fate if the existing buffer is eliminated.
Help the wolves today!
Oppose proposals that eliminate a no-hunt, no-trap buffer zone on state lands adjacent to Denali National Park to protect the Toklat and Margaret wolves of Alaska. Hundreds of thousands of visitors worldwide will suffer if the buffer is eliminated.In the last 20 years, three Denali wolf families in the eastern area of the Park have been wiped out by recreational trappers -- the Savage group in the late eighties, the highly visible Headquarters family in the mid-nineties, and the Sanctuary pack in April of 2002. The Mount Margaret pack currently occupying Sanctuary territory will likely meet this same fate if the existing buffer is eliminated.
Help the wolves today!
Your help is needed to protect the Toklat and Margaret wolves of Denali National Park. I urge you to oppose Proposals 156, 157, 158, and 159, all of which would eliminate a no-hunt, no-trap buffer zone on state lands adjacent to Denali National Park to protect the Toklat and Margaret wolves of Alaska. Only a handful of trappers would benefit if the buffer is removed, and hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world will suffer if the buffer is eliminated.
Aerial wolf control is currently in progress over vast areas of the state of Alaska (http://www.alaskawolfkill.com) with a tourism boycott in full force as a result (http://ww.friendsofanimals.org) Removing the protections to the best and only area to watch wolves with any reasonable predictability will only fuel the boycott and hurt hunters and trappers in the long run.
In the last 20 years, three Denali wolf families in the eastern area of the Park have been wiped out by recreational trappers -- the Savage group in the late eighties, the highly visible Headquarters family in the mid-nineties, and the Sanctuary pack in April of 2002. The Mount Margaret pack currently occupying Sanctuary territory will likely meet this same fate if the existing buffer is eliminated.
These are not ordinary wolves. Unlike elsewhere, the Denali Park wolves have become tolerant of humans and allow humans to watch them close up. Tourists who ride the bus into the park have about a 12 percent chance of seeing wolves, which is incredibly high when it comes to seeing wolves. The wolves often walk on the park road or hunt in full sight of visitors. (http://www.savetoklatwolf.com/Wolf1.html) In contrast, Yellowstone National Park also has wolves that are seen frequently, but usually with a spotting scope.
Trapped in April, 2002, by a National Park Service employee, the last remaining member of the Sanctuary wolf family in Denali National Park recently met her fate in a snare. This female pup was orphaned when her mother was killed during radio-collaring by a Park researcher last year. During that time, her siblings disappeared and were likely trapped in the same area.
These wolves also deserve additional protection for their international significance. On Tuesday, November 2nd, 1999 CBS Evening News with Dan Rather featured the Toklat Wolves of Denali National Park, Alaska in a special segment of "Eye on America," hosted by John Blackstone. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/11/02/eveningnews/main68682.shtml)
For all the above reasons, I ask that you maintain the buffer zone on state land adjacent to Denali National Park, and oppose Proposals 156, 157, 158, and 159.
Respectfully,
Sign PetitionSign PetitionAerial wolf control is currently in progress over vast areas of the state of Alaska (http://www.alaskawolfkill.com) with a tourism boycott in full force as a result (http://ww.friendsofanimals.org) Removing the protections to the best and only area to watch wolves with any reasonable predictability will only fuel the boycott and hurt hunters and trappers in the long run.
In the last 20 years, three Denali wolf families in the eastern area of the Park have been wiped out by recreational trappers -- the Savage group in the late eighties, the highly visible Headquarters family in the mid-nineties, and the Sanctuary pack in April of 2002. The Mount Margaret pack currently occupying Sanctuary territory will likely meet this same fate if the existing buffer is eliminated.
These are not ordinary wolves. Unlike elsewhere, the Denali Park wolves have become tolerant of humans and allow humans to watch them close up. Tourists who ride the bus into the park have about a 12 percent chance of seeing wolves, which is incredibly high when it comes to seeing wolves. The wolves often walk on the park road or hunt in full sight of visitors. (http://www.savetoklatwolf.com/Wolf1.html) In contrast, Yellowstone National Park also has wolves that are seen frequently, but usually with a spotting scope.
Trapped in April, 2002, by a National Park Service employee, the last remaining member of the Sanctuary wolf family in Denali National Park recently met her fate in a snare. This female pup was orphaned when her mother was killed during radio-collaring by a Park researcher last year. During that time, her siblings disappeared and were likely trapped in the same area.
These wolves also deserve additional protection for their international significance. On Tuesday, November 2nd, 1999 CBS Evening News with Dan Rather featured the Toklat Wolves of Denali National Park, Alaska in a special segment of "Eye on America," hosted by John Blackstone. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/11/02/eveningnews/main68682.shtml)
For all the above reasons, I ask that you maintain the buffer zone on state land adjacent to Denali National Park, and oppose Proposals 156, 157, 158, and 159.
Respectfully,
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