DENLINES Issue #1
Defenders Environmental Network (DEN)
October 1, 1999
1. WOLVES: Farm Bureau Receives 100,000 E-mails Supporting Wolves
2. ALASKA: State Legislature To Reinstate Airborne Wolf Control
3. CONGRESS: House and Senate Continue Sneak Attacks on Environment
4. HABITAT: Congress May Increase Conservation Funding
5. BEARS: Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Imperiled Florida Black Bear
6. WOLVES II:Yellowstone Welcomes Wolf Pups
7. DID YOU KNOW?: Polar Bears
8. THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Imperiled Swift Fox Reintroduction
========================================================================
1. WOLVES: Farm Bureau Receives 100,000 E-mails Supporting Wolves
The results are in! In a dramatic display of public support for wolf
restoration, concerned citizens sent 100,000 e-mail messages to Farm
Bureau President Dean Kleckner protesting that group's law suit
threatening recovery of endangered gray wolves to the Northern Rockies.
The Farm Bureau's lawsuit would force the "removal" of wolves from
Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. "Removal," however,
would mean a death sentence for these endangered wolves as there is
no place else for these magnificent animals to go.
Defenders of Wildlife will fight for the wolves all the way to the
Supreme Court, if necessary. On July 29, Brian O Neill, litigating the
case for Defenders, gave a persuasive oral argument in front of a
packed Denver courthouse. O'Neill argued convincingly for keeping
wolves in Yellowstone. A decision by the three appeals court judges is
expected soon, but Defenders remains optimistic about the fate of the
wolves. Stay tuned for further news.
Click Here for more:
http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00001.html#wolves
2. ALASKA: Alaska Legislature Re-Authorize Airborne Wolf Control
Alaska lawmakers voted by a single vote to ignore the Alaskan citizens
and their Governor and repeal a key element of a 1996 citizen-enacted
initiative which banned airborne wolf shooting in Alaska. On September
24 during a special session, the state legislature overrode a veto by
Alaska's Governor Tony Knowles and enacted controversial legislation
(SB74) which would expand the circumstances under which state officials
could use aircraft for wolf control.
An Alaska-based coalition, including Defenders of Wildlife, has worked
hard to mobilize Alaska citizens and other concerned individuals to
defeat the effort to overturn the Governor's veto. Coalition efforts
included a targeted state media campaign, grassroots action, and direct
appeals to specific swing votes to sustain Governor Knowles' veto.
While losing by a single vote is a great disappointment, the coalition
was able to defeat legislative efforts to repeal the entire initiative
and allow private citizens to hunt wolves with aircraft.
Click here for more:
http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00001.html#alaska
3. CONGRESS: House and Senate Continues Sneak Attacks on Environment
Special interests and their allies in Congress are mounting a sneak
attack on our nation's environmental laws. At issue are legislative
provisions that would prevent long-waited recovery of threatened
grizzly bears in Montana and Idaho, preserve subsidies for big oil
companies, and allow mining companies to dump more toxic waste on
federal lands. More than 50 such controversial "riders" that have
been buried in must-pass government spending bills. Each year, Congress
must pass spending bills by September 30 for the next fiscal year or
risk a government shutdown. In recent years, powerful special interests
have used these backdoor attacks on the environment using these budget
bills. Through this strategy, they avoid the public scrutiny that
accompanies congressional hearings, committee approval, and subject
specific votes in the House and Senate.
Conservation organizations are working hard to expose through the
media this sneak attack on our environmental laws, and to persuade the
President to veto any spending bills containing anti-environmental
riders. For a list of all anti-environmental riders currently attached
to spending bills visit Defenders web site at
http://www.defenders.org/riders/riders.html .
4. HABITAT: Congress May Increase Conservation Funding
Right now, Congress and President Clinton are weighing landmark
conservation legislation that could save America's most valuable but
unprotected ancient forests, wildlife habitat and other natural and
historic resources. For the past several decades, more than $12
billion has been legally set aside in federal revenue from offshore
oil drilling to permanently protect these national treasures through
the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). But special interests
have blocked spending the money on its legally mandated conservation
purpose.
Earlier this month, 12 conservation organizations, including Defenders
released a report, entitled "Saving America's Geography of Hope: Why
Congress Must Protect Our Land & Ocean Legacy." The timely publication
takes an in-depth look at the different legislative proposals to
protect our remaining natural areas. It also profiles 43 special places
in 19 states which are in immediate need of help and how they would be
protected if a strong conservation funding bill were enacted. The
report is available online at
http://www.pirg.org/enviro/hope.html .
Click here for more:
http://www.defenders.org/den/dl00001.html#habitat
5. BEARS: Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Imperiled Florida Black Bear
Defenders of Wildlife filed a law suit in August charging that the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) had illegally for failed to list the
imperiled Florida black bear under the Endangered Species Act. This
followed a decision by FWS in December of last year to not list the
bear as a threatened species despite FWS' admission that without
further assistance as many as four of the smaller populations could be
lost. Listed as threatened by the State of Florida since 1974, the
bear has been denied federal protection since it was first petitioned
in 1992.
At the turn of the century, up to 12,000 black bears roamed Florida,
from the Keys to the panhandle. Today as few as 1500 of this distinct
subspecies of the American black bear survive in Florida's swamps and
forested areas. Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and roadkills, all
by-products of Florida's rapidly growing human population, now threaten
the survival of Florida's bear. If you live in Florida and would like
to receive more information about how to help save the imperiled Florida
black bear, visit our web site at
http://www.defenders.org/flbears.html .
6. WOLVES II: Yellowstone Welcomes Wolf Pups
As many as 57 new pups have joined the ranks of the recovering wolf
population in and around Yellowstone National Park. The first wolves
were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in
January of 1995. Since then, from an initial population of 66 wolves -
35 released in Idaho and 31 released in Yellowstone � the population
today stands at nearly 340 wolves (including the new pups). The
Northern Rockies wolf recovery program is the most successful of its
kind. For more information on the Yellowstone wolves visit our website
at
http://www.defenders.org/ynp.html .
7. DID YOU KNOW?: Polar Bears
The polar bear's pure white to cream color blends in perfectly with
its snow and ice covered surroundings in the high Arctic. Well, almost
perfectly. The black nose of a polar bear can be seen from six miles
away through binoculars on a clear day. When stalking seals the polar
bear has been known to cover its nose with a paw to keep from being
seen. (Source: Wildlife Fact File)
8 THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Imperiled Swift Fox Reintroduction
"It is very encouraging to know that these small creatures will once
again be a part of Montana's diverse natural heritage, as they roam
the prairies where they belong. The recovery of rare species nationwide
will depend on innovative partnerships such as this."
- Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen on a recent Defenders of
reintroduction of 15 imperiled swift foxes to the Blackfeet Indian
Reservation in northwestern Montana.
For more information click here:
http://www.defenders.org/pr082999.html
====================================================================
To subscribe, visit Defenders website lovcated at
http://www.defenders.org/den/deninfo.html or send an e-mail to
denlines@defenders.org and put the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
====================================================================
To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to
denlines@defenders.org and put the
word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
====================================================================
DENLINES is a publication of Defenders of Wildlife, a leading national
conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most
progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. Known for its
effective leadership on endangered species issues, particularly
predators like brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders also advocates
new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species before
they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit
501(c)(3) organization with more than 360,000 members and supporters.
Defenders of Wildlife
1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005