In early February, employees from Wildlife Services -- the federal program under the Department of Agriculture -- gunned down 14 wolves from a helicopter in the Lolo region of Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.
This ill-conceived mission helped carry out Idaho's plan to radically reduce the number of wolves to artificially boost game populations in the area.
The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) -- the federal agency in charge of Wildlife Services -- is asking the public to comment on their operations and budget. We need to let them know that killing wolves and other predators for boosting game populations is expensive, unscientific and unnecessary.
Stand with the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund today to stop these unnecessary killings. Write a message to APHIS, the federal agency in charge of Wildlife Services, urging them to put an end to their participation in aggressive and unscientific wolf killing.
As a conservationist and a supporter of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, I strongly urge you to immediately stop any further plans to carry out unscientific wolf culls to artificially boost game populations. Wildlife Services staff should be spending their time working with ranchers on the ground to implement non-lethal measures to minimize conflict between wolves and livestock -- not unnecessarily killing wolves.
[Your comments will be added here]I was dismayed to learn that Wildlife Services recently participated in just such an operation that killed 14 wolves from the skies over Idaho's Lolo District of the Clearwater National Forest.
The stated reason for the wolf-killing plan is that some believe that wolves are reducing elk numbers. But elk numbers began decreasing in the area long before wolves made their way there, as suitable elk habitat in the area declined.
I ask that Wildlife Services adhere to its mission to "create a balance that allows people and wildlife to coexist peacefully."
Instead of the federal government's de facto wildlife killers, this program should move away from heavily relying on killing wildlife -- and move toward using more proven, effective non-lethal methods of control.
Wildlife Services certainly should not be in the business of killing wolves or other predators to artificially boost game populations.
As Ed Bangs, former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in charge of wolf recovery describes such operations: "[This] isn't wildlife management -- it's farming. You are farming elk for hunters." (http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/hunting-wolves-out-west-more-less/)
As a taxpayer, I do not want Wildlife Services killing wolves on federal lands simply for pursuing their natural prey.
Thank you for considering my comments.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
