Don't Let Hunting Endanger Wisconsin's Wolves
- by: Center for Biological Diversity
- recipient: Wisconsin Natural Resource Board Chair David Clausen, Wisconsin Natural Resource Board Liaison Laurie Ross, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp
With the recent removal of Endangered Species Act protection for Great Lakes wolves, responsibility for these amazing animals now lies with state managers. Dead set on drastically reducing the state's wolf population, the Wisconsin Legislature recently authorized sport hunting and trapping of wolves. Unless you speak out, decades of progress toward wolf recovery will be lost.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is developing rules to govern sport hunting and trapping seasons for wolves. State managers need to hear that you are appalled by their plans to kill wolves and reduce the wolf population by more than half -- to just 350 wolves.
Help defend wolves in the Great Lakes region and demand that Wisconsin state managers show restraint when setting the rules for sport hunting and trapping of wolves.
Make an even bigger impact by giving them a call at (608) 516-4328 -- and tell your friends on Twitter and Facebook to do the same.
SUBJECT: Don't Let Hunting Endanger Wisconsin's Wolves
Dear [Decision Maker],
I am writing to encourage Wisconsin's state wildlife managers to show restraint when setting the rules governing sport hunting and trapping of Wisconsin's wolves. I oppose any efforts to reduce the state's wolf population by half, to a target goal of just 350 wolves. That population goal was set decades ago and dramatically underestimated the capacity of the Wisconsin landscape to support wolves.
To ensure that wolves remain and thrive in Wisconsin, state managers need to take a conservative approach that's driven by peer-reviewed scientific research.
1) National forests should be closed to hunting and trapping, establishing refuges for wolves and protecting their core habitat.
2) Quotas should be low and also account for wolves killed by private landowners.
3) Unethical methods of killing trapped wolves -- like clubbing -- must be banned.
Please adopt conservative rules to ensure that Wisconsin's sport hunting and trapping of wolves does not erase decades of progress toward wolf recovery.
Thank you.
