Yesterday, federal officials announced their proposal to remove federal protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies -- a plan that could lead to the slaughter of hundreds of wolves. Take action now -- Tell Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne that you’re outraged by this ill-conceived proposal!Please let's do a BIG Letter Writing Campaign ASAP! Thank You. C/P by JennieB Please Cross Post Widely and Forward. Thanks!

Speak Out for Our Wolves!

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A federal proposal released yesterday could lead to the slaughter of hundreds of wolves in Idaho and Wyoming. Please take a few moments now to send a personalized message voicing your outrage…

Help us meet our goal of 25,000 personalized comments by this Friday.

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Dear Jennie,

For months, officials in the Bush/Cheney Administration have been threatening to eliminate Endangered Species Protections for imperiled gray wolves in the Northern Rockies.

Yesterday, they made good on their threat, announcing a proposal to end federal protections for wolves in Idaho and Wyoming -- two states more concerned with eliminating wolves than managing them.

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

In Idaho, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has called for the elimination of all but about 100 of the state’s estimated 650 wolves, going so far as to tell a group of anti-wolf protestors that he was eager to bid for a chance to kill a wolf himself.

Last week, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission even set a price for the tag to kill wolves -- $26.50 for in-state residents and $256 dollars for out-of-state people.

Things aren’t looking any better in nearby Wyoming. That state plans to kill as many as two-thirds of its gray wolves if the animals lose federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Last week, the state Senate’s Wildlife Committee approved a bill that would allow unlimited killing of wolves in some wilderness areas. Wolves would remain protected within Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, but could be shot on sight once they wander outside the safety of the national parks.

Take action now! Tell federal officials that you’re outraged by their Northern Rockies wolf proposal.

Handing wolf management responsibilities over to states that are planning wide-spread wolf eradication programs simply makes no sense and does nothing to address the factors that put the wolf on the endangered list to begin with. 

The government once allowed our Northern Rocky Mountain wolves to be shot, harassed and poisoned into near extinction. We can’t let that happen again.

Please take action now.

Respectfully,


Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

P.S. In the weeks ahead, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and our sister organization Defenders of Wildlife will work to mobilize local opposition to this disastrous plan, educating the public and building support for effective science-based wolf management.

You can help. Please donate online or call 1-800-425-4632 now to help support our efforts to save wolves and other imperiled wildlife.