Fri 7/19: Thanks to everyone who wrote a comment in defense of wolves! You helped set a record.

Video from the Center for Biological Diversity. Their members wrote over 650,000 comments.

1.8 million people spoke up for wolves!

(From the Animal Welfare Institute) “Nearly 2 million Americans, joined by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and a broad coalition of animal welfare and environmental organizations, have registered their opposition to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposal to gut Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves across the contiguous United States.

The USFWS received more than 1.8 million public comments opposing the wolf delisting plan by its deadline yesterday. The total number of comments ranks among the highest ever submitted on a federal decision involving an endangered species. In addition, 86 members of Congress, 100 scientists, 230 businesses, and 367 veterinary professionals all submitted letters rebuking the administration’s plan to cede management of the species to state agencies.

Upon reviewing the submitted comments, the USFWS will prepare and publish a final rule in the Federal Register.”

This isn’t over yet…

Even if the huge turnout for this wolf effort shames the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into keeping the endangered species status for wolves, the fight isn’t over. For example, the Trump administration is putting environments critical to wildlife survival at risk in the name of fossil fuel development, mining and logging interests. Federal and state governments are still full of people who like killing animals for fun, not sustenance. California and Vermont are currently the only states that ban wildlife killing contests.

Meanwhile, back at what is considered the most corrupt government since the Harding administration, Interior Secretary Bernhardt is deliberatly shedding experienced personnel while pushing his department closer to donors. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) stated that Bernhardt of being secretive about his plans. Bernhardt’s hometown of Rifle, Colo., is not far from Grand Junction. “Putting BLM headquarters down the road from Secretary Bernhardt’s hometown just makes it easier for special interests to walk in the door demanding favors without congressional oversight or accountability,” Grijalva said. “The agency will lose a lot of good people because of this move, and I suspect that’s the administration’s real goal here.”

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