Manatees are wasting away at unprecedented rates

 

Manatees are STARVING to death in record numbers in Florida. Just last year, 1,110 of these gentle creatures were found dead. The cause? Seagrass die-off due, in part, to cruise ship pollution from the likes of cruise giant Carnival Corp. Help us fight Big Cruise corporations to protect manatees and our planet: Make your contribution of $15 or more today!

Manatees rely on seagrass as their main source of food. But when cruise ships dump polluted wastewater and churn up sand and contaminants when sailing close to our coasts, they are contributing to the destruction of this vital manatee food source.

Unless we stop Big Cruise corporations from wreaking havoc on manatee habitats, things will only get worse. We could see an even greater number of manatees die this year as they continue to waste away from starvation. We must act quickly to protect the remaining manatees -- will you help?

Big Cruise corporations are recklessly polluting manatee habitats, contributing to the starvation and death of these gentle creatures. Take a stand for manatees and our planet with your $15 contribution today.

The worst part is that these cruise companies know they are doing an incredible amount of harm to habitats and threatened species, but they continue to do nothing about it. Carnival Corp. has even been fined TWICE in the last 5 years for illegal wastewater dumping, clearly showing its irresponsible attitude towards the waters they travel in.

Big Cruise corporations only care about the profits they are making, regardless of the DISASTROUS impacts they have on wildlife like manatees and their ecosystems. You see, the dumping of polluted wastewater is causing algal blooms that block sunlight to seagrass. Without sunlight, seagrass cannot grow, leaving manatees without their primary food source. In some Florida habitats, more than half of the seagrass has died in recent years, dealing a huge blow to the gentle creatures.

Manatees help keep vegetation in check by preventing it from overgrowing while also consuming invasive species. They are also crucial for the overall fertilization of underwater vegetation, making the entire ecosystem run smoothly for other sea life. The loss of manatees would be devastating to the overall health of the habitats they roam.

But as more manatees continue to die, the delicate balance within these ecological communities starts to crumble, meaning that we are on the brink of losing many of these essential habitats, as well as the sea life that depends on them.

1,110 Florida manatees died in a single year. This trend cannot continue if we want the species to survive. Fight against corporate interests to protect manatees and our planet with your $15 contribution today.

The reality is that the depleted seagrass creates a problem for people as well. Seagrass beds store about 18 percent of the world’s oceanic carbon, helping in the fight against climate change. They also provide coastal communities with protection from storm surges, which is especially significant as we see sea levels rise globally. Yet, cruise companies like Carnival Corp. have deemed its business more important than the survival of threatened species and our planet.

We cannot sit by as Big Cruise companies continue to decimate manatee populations and pollute our oceans. This blatant disregard for our ecosystems is, unfortunately, in character for these corporations, but Friends of the Earth Action continues to fight against the industry's irresponsible practices.

Your membership gift of $15 or more to Friends of the Earth Action today can help us step up our fight to protect at-risk manatees, endangered species, and our planet from corporate greed. Please make your contribution today -- before more manatees suffer cruel, preventable deaths.

Big Cruise corporations like Carnival Corp. continue to dump polluted wastewater into manatee habitats, contributing to the death of their primary food source. Help us fight to save starving manatees, endangered species, and the planet with your $15 contribution today.

Standing with you,
Marcie Keever,
Oceans & vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth Action

Contact Us: Friends of the Earth Action Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687

Over 1,000 Florida manatees died last year as pollution-fueled algal outbreaks killed the marine mammal’s main food source, seagrass, in the Indian River Lagoon. Mass starvation resulted in the highest number of manatee deaths ever recorded in the state. Earthjustice is pursuing legal action to stop this pollution — and today, we’re asking for your help. Our Biodiversity Defense Program is providing legal representation to conservation groups working to stop the pollution of critical habitats and restore the food sources that manatees rely on to survive. Cases like this can last for years. We need reliable monthly supporters to help us protect manatees and countless other species with the full power of the law. To support this effort, a generous donor has agreed to contribute $50,000 to Earthjustice if we can bring on 150 new monthly donors by the end of January. We only have until midnight tonight, and we still need 35 more monthly donors to come on board. Will you make a monthly gift to help our lawyers see this case through to the very end and save Florida’s manatees from starvation? It is painfully clear that Florida isn’t doing what’s necessary to control the sewage and fertilizer pollution that’s wrecking the Indian River Lagoon. It’s time for EPA to step in and enforce the Clean Water Act for the sake of the manatees and all the other creatures and people that rely on Florida’s waterways.   You can be a part of this fight. Please make a monthly gift before midnight tonight to fund this legal battle, and many more, as Earthjustice stands up for plants and animals under threat.   . Sincerely, Elizabeth Forsyth Senior Attorney Biodiversity Defense Program P.S. While giving monthly is one of the best ways you can support Earthjustice, we are grateful for the support from all our donors and know that not everyone is able to make that commitment. If that’s the case for you, please consider making a one-time donation that is personally significant to you.

GIVE MONTHLY   Earthjustice, 50 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94111 Stay up-to-date on Earthjustice news and alerts by signing up for text messages. About Us   Photo Credit: 33karen33 via iStockPhoto

Trophy hunters attack bear cubs in their dens

 

Bear cubs are being killed in their dens. States like Wyoming are going further and working to delist grizzly bears from Endangered Species Act protections. Help save bear cubs and grizzlies from being slaughtered this spring: Donate $15 to Friends of the Earth Action today.

Grizzlies are iconic animals in North America, but outside of Alaska, their numbers have dropped to only 2% of their historic population. Fewer than 2,000 grizzlies remain in the lower 48 states. Yet hunters are slaughtering bear cubs in their dens and were encouraged to do so by the Trump administration when they allowed this horrendous practice. 

Now, Wyoming is working to remove ESA protections for grizzlies so that trophy hunters can kill these iconic, threatened species this coming spring. We can’t allow bad actors to succeed in removing protections and continue to hunt bear cubs with impunity. 

As bears prepare for hibernation in the coming weeks, the fate of their cubs is being decided by private interests who only care about trophy hunting, mining, logging, and drilling for profit. This is why they are chipping away at animal and land protections. 

Bears are intelligent creatures who enhance biodiversity, enrich soils, regulate prey populations, and transport nutrients through different ecosystems as they make their way through vast swaths of wilderness. The removal of protections could wreak havoc not only on the species, but their surrounding environment as well. 

In the coming months, hunters could kill a mother bear who emerges from hibernation. She may be looking to replenish her lethargic and underfed body to give her the strength to care for her cubs.  

But once the mother is killed, the cubs will be left orphaned. Bear cubs rely on their mothers until they are 17 months old. They don’t stand a chance of survival as they are left to suffer from starvation, predation, and exposure. 

This is a horrible death for bear cubs and their mothers. What’s worse, these hunts are being held on America’s public lands and wildlife preserves where these creatures are meant to be protected. 

This, unfortunately, is not the first time Wyoming has attempted to remove protections for grizzlies. Federal judges have twice rejected attempts to strip these protections -- but the state is proceeding anyway. We can’t let Wyoming remove protections and approve the slaughter of threatened grizzlies and bear cubs in their dens a third time -- the consequences could be catastrophic. 

This is why Friends of the Earth Action is working to curb the concerted attack on bears and the lands they roam. We are compelling the US Fish and Wildlife Service to restore the ban on trophy hunting bear cubs, opposing oil and gas lease sales on public lands, and working to keep grizzlies protected under the ESA.  

With Big Industry’s profits under threat, they are pushing back against these efforts, but we are not giving up. Vulnerable species and bear cubs are relying on our work and on your support to keep up the fight.  

The inhumane treatment of bears and their cubs cannot continue. One bullet will not only kill mother bears, but the slaughter means that her cubs will be left to die as well. Help us put a stop to the deaths of America’s most iconic species. 

Standing with you,  
Raena Garcia,  
Fossil fuels and lands campaigner,  
Friends of the Earth Action

Contact Us:

Friends of the Earth Action

Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA

1-877-843-8687

Contact us

 

CBC Radio · Posted: Jun 15, 2020 6:04 PM ET | Last Updated: June 15, 2020

Grizzly 399 stands to get a better look at the growing crowd of bear watchers while her four cubs play in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. (Thomas D. Mangelsen/www.mangelsen.com)

Baby orcas vs. Big Oil and shipping industry

 

Southern Resident Killer Whales are among the most iconic species in the world -- but their numbers continue to decline due to shipping and oil tanker traffic: they are down to only 73 in existence. And among these threats, one disaster can render this species extinct -- a single oil spill. Help protect endangered orcas from extinction by donating $15 to Friends of the Earth Action today. 

Orcas have never needed you more than now. You see, orcas only give birth to one baby at a time every three to ten years. And recently, scientists have found that three of the orcas in the Southern Resident Killer Whale pods may be pregnant! While this is great news, we cannot ignore the threats that are awaiting these orcas, even before they are born.  

The odds are not in their favor. From increased tanker traffic, to less chinook salmon available for consumption, to high miscarriage rates and the potential threat of an oil spill, we need to fight for a better future for these orcas. And with Marina -- the 47-year-old orca grandmother -- presumed dead, these babies are already facing a higher likelihood of dying -- 6x higher to be exact. 

Southern Resident Killer Whales are the only endangered species of killer whales in the United States -- with only 73 left in the remaining pods. Once thriving in the waters of Washington and British Columbia, this incredibly precious species has been on the decline for years largely due to oil spills. And yet, private companies are looking to build the Roberts Bank T2 shipping terminal and expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline which would be a direct threat to the pods’ survival. 

Building the shipping terminal would increase vessel traffic and ship noise in these orcas’ habitats. Studies show that tankers coming within 1,200 feet of orcas can dramatically disrupt their feeding habits. They become disoriented and cannot use echolocation to hunt for food -- some giving up feeding entirely -- resulting in severe malnourishment and stress, two things that would severely impact orca pregnancies. 

The increased traffic resulting from these disastrous megaprojects would also further disrupt the migration patterns of chinook salmon in these areas -- the main food source for these orcas. At a time when pregnant orcas must eat for two, the diminished supply of chinook salmon would affect their ability to carry to full term. 

The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion would also carry additional threats to these orca families. It would add 590,000 barrels a day of the dirtiest toxic tar sands oil while increasing tanker traffic from a little over one tanker a week to one per day! This activity would significantly increase the risk of a catastrophic oil spill -- one that could render the endangered orcas extinct forever. 

The calves are facing immediate and catastrophic threats to their existence before they are even born. The birth of these orcas can help turn around the drastically declining population of the Southern Resident Killer Whales -- but this is a very critical time in their survival. Pregnant orca mothers are battling grief at the loss of family members like Cappuccino and Marina, starvation, and stress -- a combination of things that negatively affect their pregnancies. 

Orcas are crucial to a thriving ocean habitat and our own health. They release vital nutrients for phytoplankton, which in turn provide half of the oxygen we breathe while absorbing hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon each year. We depend on this flow of nutrients for healthy ecosystems and a functioning planet, which is why we must protect these orcas at all costs. But the shipping and oil industries want to disrupt this for their own profit without a second thought to the consequences. 

Big Oil and the shipping industry are looking to add fuel to the fire, disrupting and threatening the existence of these orcas with their proposed projects. Just as we rely on orcas for the health of our ecosystems, they are relying on us to fight for them at a time when there is potential for hope.  

Friends of the Earth Action is working with the Biden administration to increase protections for Southern Resident Killer Whales, but we need your help to step up our fight. We need you to be the hero in this story so we can welcome these orca calves into a brighter future for them and their families. 

Standing with you,  
Marcie Keever,  
Oceans & vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth Action

Contact Us: Friends of the Earth Action Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687

WOLVES

 

More kill orders have been issued on wolves -- this time, two of the nine wolves in Washington’s Togo pack are the targets. The hunting lobby and Big Ag are taking advantage of weak endangered species laws to slaughter wolves with impunity. Take action now to protect wolves: Donate $15 to Friends of the Earth Action. The Togo wolf pack lives in Central Washington and is composed of five adults and four wolf pups. This is the fifth time since 2018 that this wolf family has been in the crosshairs. Three years ago, sharpshooters killed the breeding male of the Togo pack, leaving behind his mate and her two pups. Shooters then attempted to eliminate the entire rest of the family in the fall of 2019. Kill orders were again issued for the family in 2020.  Wolves are social animals. Killing a single wolf has horrific impacts on their families as they lose their parents, pups, and valued packmates. And there being fewer wolves has tremendous consequences for our ecosystems. Wolves are already struggling in Washington. As of the end of 2020, the state counted only 132 wolves with another 46 wolves estimated on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation land.  But it’s not just Washington. Wolves everywhere are under threat. This year alone, states including Montana and Idaho have passed laws legalizing brutal “hunting” methods from snares to helicopter chases. In May, Idaho called for the killing of 90% of its wolf population -- only 150 wolves would remain.  We know what happens when wolves aren’t protected -- when their lives are left up to the whims of Big Ag interests and the trophy hunting lobby. States like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have already loosened protections -- and in the last decade, more than 3,200 wolves have been killed. Currently, around 6,000 wolves remain, occupying less than 10% of their historic range.  Wolves are a cherished part of our natural heritage, an icon of wilderness, and an irreplaceable player in ensuring that our ecosystems are healthy and diverse.  Right now, bad actors from Big Ag to the trophy hunting lobby are ruthlessly targeting America’s most vulnerable wildlife. If we don’t fight back before it’s too late, fragile species will be driven to extinction, and America’s wild places will never be the same.  At Friends of the Earth Action, we’re fighting to protect endangered species, ecosystems, and public lands at every level. We’re pressuring local decision-makers in states like Washington, Oregon, and Wisconsin, to put a stop to these dangerous, cruel, virtually unrestricted wolf-hunts and unnecessary kill orders. And we are pushing the Biden administration to restore comprehensive protection for wolves before it’s too late.  We’re prepared to fight this fight at every level. For wolves. For endangered species. For all of us.  We have a narrow window to secure permanent, national protection for wolves and other vulnerable species. But we need your help.  Standing with you, Raena Garcia, Fossil fuels and lands campaigner, Friends of the Earth Action TAKE ACTION: Gray wolves are being SLAUGHTERED in the Rockies. They need protections NOW  States are allowing the senseless and cruel slaughter of gray wolves, threatening the recovery of this iconic species Urge Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to immediately halt this barbaric killing by restoring ESA protections for wolves — starting with gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. Strangled by snares. Run down by vehicles. Slaughtered in dens alongside their pups. This is the epidemic of cruelty facing gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. States like Montana and Idaho are radically altering their wolf management approaches to allow for the unfettered killing of gray wolves using barbaric methods — many of which were outlawed long ago. These practices are being pushed by extreme legislators who are undermining their own states' wildlife professionals. Without immediate intervention, this iconic keystone species could once again be decimated. The good news is that President Biden's Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has the power to institute emergency federal protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act that would halt these barbaric practices and restore science and ethics to wolf management. We can't allow these states to reverse decades of wolf investments and progress. Wolf hunters and trappers are taking to the woods to kill wolves and wipe out entire packs. If we are going to prevent more of these atrocities, we need to act fast: New laws in Idaho and Montana harken back to a time when gray wolves were nearly extinguished. In the early 1900s, extermination programs paid bounties for trapping and killing wolves. But thanks to decades of protection under the Endangered Species Act, gray wolf populations have been able to slowly recover in some parts of their historical range. Through this progress, we have learned just how vital wolves are to maintaining the health and balance of entire ecosystems. Now, those cruel practices that once drove the gray wolf to near extinction in the U.S. are back with a vengeance. Idaho's new policies allow individuals to kill an unlimited number of wolves, kill pregnant wolves and litters of pups, and run-down wolves with ATVs and snowmobiles. Montana's state wildlife agency has been directed to allow similarly extreme, cruel, and outdated tactics, including a wolf bounty. These policies are driven by politics, not science — and threaten the lives of thousands of wolves.  Wolves are critical to our planet's biodiversity and ecological balance. They cull sick elk and deer, making the remaining herd stronger and faster. They keep coyotes in check, which allows smaller animals and their predators like eagles and hawks to flourish. And gray wolves force elk to stay vigilant and move frequently. This allows aspen, cottonwood, and other trees to regrow and beavers and riparian birds to thrive. In addition, gray wolves hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous people. Hundreds of tribes have banded together to urge the federal government to restore national protections for the gray wolf. And along with these tribal leaders, scientists, wildlife managers, and even hunters have called for science and ethics to be restored on wolf management. Sincerely, Jennifer Sherry Wildlife Advocate, Nature Program, NRDC The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. When gray wolves were prematurely stripped of their federal protections last year, an epidemic of cruelty and senseless killing was catalyzed across the country. After decades of investments and slow progress toward recovery, gray wolves are now facing brutal and archaic attacks that once again threaten their future. In the Northern Rockies states, new rules allow hunters to slaughter wolf pups in their dens, to catch and kill wolves using strangulating neck snares, and to bait Yellowstone wolves out of the national park in order to trap and shoot them — and individuals can be awarded bounty payments for each dead wolf. NRDC is working to put a stop to this, including by calling on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to enact emergency federal protections for Northern Rockies wolves before it's too late. But across most of the country, the Trump administration's decision to delist gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has paved the way for states to bring back aggressive wolf killing policies that harken back to the wolf extermination campaigns of the early 1900s. That's why NRDC is fighting in court and advocating to bring back the safeguards that once saved the gray wolf from going extinct altogether — and we urgently need your help. Some states are actively working to prevent the presence of wolves within their borders by vilifying wolves and hunting them down as disposable vermin. Earlier this year, it only took Wisconsin hunters three days to wipe out at least 20 percent of the state's wolf population — during which even pregnant wolves were run down with packs of dogs and guns. Now, the state is planning for yet another aggressive hunt to begin this November. This is a critical moment to stand up for wolves nationally and defend a future where they can thrive. With your support, we will stand up for science-based wolf management in court and the halls of government and force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore ESA protections to the gray wolf.  The devastation to wolf populations across the country will have ripple effects on our ecosystems long into the future — and this comes at a time when biodiversity and the climate are already in crisis. Wolves are an environmental ally, not an enemy. This is something many Indigenous people of North America have known since time immemorial. More than 120 Tribes and Tribal leaders have collectively called on the federal government to restore protections for the gray wolf. It's time we unite to speak up on behalf of the gray wolf. Sincerely, Dr. Sylvia Fallon Senior Director for Wildlife, NRDC

A new film from Andrew Budziak, Poisoned Earth explores what happens when we chose one animal over another. This documentary looks at a poison program that is happening right in our backyard. At its core, this is a story about our relationship with wolves - a relationship based on love, hate and fear. For the past several years, the Alberta government has been poisoning wolves in an effort to recover a dwindling caribou population. The film looks at the controversial program, its unintended consequences and what needs to be done to ensure both species have a future.

With their piercing looks and spine-tingling howls, wolves inspire both adoration and controversy around the world. Find out how many wolf species exist, the characteristics that make each wolf's howl unique, and how the wolf population in the continental United States nearly became extinct.

Kill orders have been issued in Washington

 

More kill orders have been issued on wolves -- this time, two of the nine wolves in Washington’s Togo pack are the targets. The hunting lobby and Big Ag are taking advantage of weak endangered species laws to slaughter wolves with impunity. Take action now to protect wolves: Donate $15 to Friends of the Earth Action.

The Togo wolf pack lives in Central Washington and is composed of five adults and four wolf pups. This is the fifth time since 2018 that this wolf family has been in the crosshairs. Three years ago, sharpshooters killed the breeding male of the Togo pack, leaving behind his mate and her two pups. Shooters then attempted to eliminate the entire rest of the family in the fall of 2019. Kill orders were again issued for the family in 2020. 

Wolves are social animals. Killing a single wolf has horrific impacts on their families as they lose their parents, pups, and valued packmates. And there being fewer wolves has tremendous consequences for our ecosystems. 

Wolves are already struggling in Washington. As of the end of 2020, the state counted only 132 wolves with another 46 wolves estimated on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation land. 

But it’s not just Washington. Wolves everywhere are under threat. This year alone, states including Montana and Idaho have passed laws legalizing brutal “hunting” methods from snares to helicopter chases. In May, Idaho called for the killing of 90% of its wolf population -- only 150 wolves would remain. 

We know what happens when wolves aren’t protected -- when their lives are left up to the whims of Big Ag interests and the trophy hunting lobby. States like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have already loosened protections -- and in the last decade, more than 3,200 wolves have been killed. Currently, around 6,000 wolves remain, occupying less than 10% of their historic range. 

Wolves are a cherished part of our natural heritage, an icon of wilderness, and an irreplaceable player in ensuring that our ecosystems are healthy and diverse. 

Right now, bad actors from Big Ag to the trophy hunting lobby are ruthlessly targeting America’s most vulnerable wildlife. If we don’t fight back before it’s too late, fragile species will be driven to extinction, and America’s wild places will never be the same. 

At Friends of the Earth Action, we’re fighting to protect endangered species, ecosystems, and public lands at every level. We’re pressuring local decision-makers in states like Washington, Oregon, and Wisconsin, to put a stop to these dangerous, cruel, virtually unrestricted wolf-hunts and unnecessary kill orders. And we are pushing the Biden administration to restore comprehensive protection for wolves before it’s too late. 

We’re prepared to fight this fight at every level. For wolves. For endangered species. For all of us. 

We have a narrow window to secure permanent, national protection for wolves and other vulnerable species. But we need your help.

Standing with you,
Raena Garcia,
Fossil fuels and lands campaigner,

Friends of the Earth Action

 

WOLVES; The last line of defense is crumbling

 

A horrifying one-third of Wisconsin’s endangered gray wolves were just killed in a single hunt. The next hunt, scheduled this fall, could make it impossible for wolves to rebound.  "An outright slaughter." That’s how people described February’s horrific wolf-hunt in Wisconsin, as hunters killed 216 wolves and painted the forests red. Now, something even worse is looming. The state’s Department of Natural Resources voted to kill hundreds more wolves this fall -- a number so high it could wipe out the wolf population in Wisconsin. This is dire news, and not just for Wisconsin. Wolves everywhere are under threat. This year alone, states including Montana and Idaho have passed laws legalizing brutal “hunting” methods from snares to helicopter chases. In May, Idaho called for the killing of 90% of its wolf population -- only 150 wolves would remain.  Dynamiting wolf pups in their dens. Inhumane trapping practices. Gunning them down from helicopters and snowmobiles. How the heck did things get this bad?  For centuries, wolves have been villainized and demonized across Europe and North America. Today, wolves are victims of a political war -- a disinformation campaign that ignores science. The culprits include the trophy hunting lobby and other special interests. These groups worked hand-in-hand with the Trump administration to gut the Endangered Species Act and dismantle protections for wolves and other animals. Trump’s assault on wildlife was the worst we’ve seen from any president. Few animals have suffered more from this than America’s wolves. Now, bad actors are working to uphold Trump-era rules and gut other animal protection laws, all to benefit special interests and wealthy developers.  We need wolves.  As a keystone species, wolves balance ecosystems and even drive natural evolution. If a keystone species is removed, the ecosystem drastically changes -- or in some cases, collapses entirely.  But when wolves' lives are left up to the whims of Big Ag interests and the trophy hunting lobby, bad things happen. States including Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have already loosened protections -- and in the last decade, more than 3,200 wolves have been killed. That’s more than half as many wolves as are alive in the lower 48 states today. Only around 6,000 wolves remain. If we don’t fight back before it’s too late, fragile species will be driven to extinction, and America’s wild places will never be the same.  At Friends of the Earth Action, we’re fighting to protect endangered species, ecosystems, and public lands at every level. We’re pushing the Biden administration and putting pressure on local decision-makers to restore protection for wolves before it’s too late.  We can’t rely on states alone to solve this crisis. We have a narrow window to secure permanent, national protection for wolves and other vulnerable species. But we need your help.  Standing with you, Raena Garcia, Fossil fuels and lands campaigner, Friends of the Earth Action

 

Ever since the Trump administration stripped wolves of their critical ESA protections, anti-wolf legislators and extremists have been on the offensive. In states across the nation, we’re seeing wolf killings rise and brutal tactics like neck snares and baiting make a comeback after being outlawed for decades. It’s past time to restore wolf protections. With your support, we’re acting on all fronts to demand protection for wolves – and we’re matching all gifts 2-for-1 to save the wildlife who need us most!

It was one of the most shameful assaults on wildlife in our lifetimes – and as wolf killings continue to rise, we’re still feeling the heartache. The Trump administration’s premature decision to strip gray wolves of their federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections was nothing less than a betrayal of wildlife and of the advocates who have spent decades helping bring wolves back from the brink of extinction. Now we’ve got a chance to undo that damage: we must restore those protections and save these wolves from increasing attacks in states across the nation. We’re in court now to demand federal ESA protections be restored to undo the damage, and we need your help We’re matching all gifts 2-for-1 up to $100,000 to turbo-charge efforts to restore the protections that wolves and other wildlife need to survive. Your gift now goes 3x as far to save these animals.  I know you’ve seen the headlines. The three-day killing frenzy in Wisconsin that cost over 200 wolves their lives. Idaho’s plan to wipe out up to 90% of the states’ wolves. Montana legislators scrambling to bring back neck snares, baiting and night hunting. Wolves in those states have been in danger for many years – and now things are getting worse. And just this month, we learned that a pair of weeks-old pups were gunned down from a helicopter in Oregon. I dream of a day where I don’t have to write to you with news of another tragic wolf killing – but until we restore their federal protections, the wolves we love will never be safe. Fight back for wolves: For every dollar you give, 3x that amount will help power critical efforts across the nation to protect wolves and other vulnerable animals from threats to their survival. With your help, we can keep the pressure on the Biden Administration to take dramatic action NOW. We can continue to fight in the courts, demanding that protections are restored. The longer it takes, the more wolves will die. The dream of wolf recovery is still alive. You know it and I know it. Now it’s time to step in and save these animals from being driven to the brink of extinction once again! 3X MATCH MY GIFT FOR WOLVES Thank you for doing your part to protect our most vulnerable animals. Sincerely, Jamie Rappaport Clark President & CEO, Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 defenders.org © 2021 Defenders of Wildlife  Photo credit: Gray wolf pup in meadow (c) John Pitcher/iStock

Kill orders have been issued for up to two of the nine wolves in Washington's Togo pack. It's the fifth time since 2018 that this wolf family has been targeted. While wolves there are state-protected, Washington's endangered species laws are weak, and the state continues to kill wolves for the livestock industry. It has to stop. Please help with a gift to the Wolf Defense Fund. Last year Gov. Jay Inslee directed the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft new rules governing the killing of wolves involved in conflicts with livestock. But the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which the Commission oversees, has taken aim at the Togo pack again. Since 2012 its wildlife officials have killed 34 state-endangered wolves. And in Oregon two other kill orders are out, on the OR-30 wolves and Lookout Mountain pack, which had two 14-week-old pups killed by the state three weeks ago. We're urging the governors of both states to step in and stop the kill orders. If state agencies keep doing the bidding of livestock operators, industry will keep relying on helicopter sharpshooters to kill wolves instead of using nonlethal measures that are far more effective for avoiding conflicts. The war on wolves is being waged across many fronts. Idaho and Montana are extending their trapping seasons, granting almost unlimited wolf-hunting and letting wolves be killed with cruel snares or run over by snowmobiles. Wisconsin wants to hold its second hunt this year in the fall, putting as many as 300 wolves at risk. We're fighting to restore protection to wolves across the lower 48, including an emergency petition for wolves in the northern Rockies. We won't let up against those who see wolves as pests, trophies or target practice. Wolves and their families can flourish here — but only if states get out of the business of killing them. Please support our fight for wolves with a gift to the Wolf Defense Fund. For the wild,

Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity