The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its proposal to strip wolves of crucial Endangered Species Act protections in Idaho and parts of Wyoming. Both states are now preparing massive wolf eradication plans, with the intent of killing hundreds of wolves.

In Idaho alone, the governor plans to kill all but 100 of the wolves in the state. And now, the price to kill a wolf is cheaper than a large pizza: Idaho residents pay $9.75 to kill a wolf. (It costs more if you're from out-of-state.)

"I'm prepared to...shoot a wolf myself," declared Idaho's governor preparing for the de-listing of wolves from the ESA. Listen to his speech before a crowd of anti-wolf protesters.

Tell Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne that you’re outraged by his department’s decision to eliminate protections for wolves in states that are now preparing widespread wolf eradication.

As someone who cares about wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies, I am deeply concerned with your agency's proposal to remove gray wolves in Idaho and Montana from the Endangered Species List.

Like many wildlife supporters, I want to see a future where Western wolves can be removed from the list of endangered species. However, neither Idaho nor Wyoming's state wolf management plans have adequately addressed the issues that once brought these magnificent animals to the brink of extinction. In fact, both states have begun actively planning efforts to kill hundreds of wolves in advance of your Department's proposal to de-list gray wolves in the Northern Rockies.

Your department has an obligation to ensure a sustainable population of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. And handing wolf management responsibilities over to states that are planning wide-spread wolf eradication programs simply makes no sense.

I strongly urge you to reconsider your proposal to de-list gray wolves in Idaho and Wyoming and maintain strong federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies.

Thank you for considering my comments.