With the support of caring people like you, today we launched our latest legal efforts to save wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies, notifying the Secretary of the Interior that we intend to sue to reverse last week’s elimination of vital federal protections for these amazing animals.
But with the future of wolf recovery and the lives of hundreds of wolves at stake, Defenders of Wildlife is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a lasting future for wolves in America.
By removing wolves in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana from the list of federally protected endangered species last week, the Bush/Cheney Administration has officially green-lighted state plans to kill as many as 70% of the wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.
The announcement opened the door to the killing of more than a 1,000 wolves by aerial gunning, trapping, poisoning and other lethal methods. It could also close the door on wolf restoration in Oregon, Washington, Colorado and other parts of the gray wolf’s historic range.
Last week, Defenders and our allies at the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a formal petition with the Fish and Wildlife Service calling for a national wolf recovery plan.
Such a plan would protect not only wolves in the Northern Rockies, but also provide a needed boost for wolf recovery and management efforts in the Southwest, Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
Thirty five years ago, wolves in the U.S. were listed as protected under the Endangered Species Act. Every day since, Defenders of Wildlife has fought to save America’s wolves.
