Katalusis: Stop the anti-wildlife forces!

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Stop the anti-wildlife forces!

Katalusis friends, I am so grateful to Jamie Rapaport Clark at Defenders of Wildlife for keeping me posted regarding the efforts of the anti-wildlife forces in Congress to harm or destroy the nation's wildlife. I just got this message from Jamie:

Protect Our Wildlife

This Congress, more than 90 bills, riders and amendments have been proposed to undermine the ESA!

Help stop deadly anti-wildlife amendments!

Dear Virginia,

Can you believe it?

There have been more than 90 legislative measures introduced this Congress to undo decades of wildlife conservation progress and abandon the wildlife we all love.

If these measures pass, wolves will die. Other wildlife will lose protection. And still others will find their habitat plundered and destroyed.

Urgent – your support gives Defenders the resources we need to fight the anti-wildlife agenda.

Most recently, anti-wildlife senators in Washington, D.C. have introduced a series of amendments to the Energy Bill that would cripple wolf conservation and set wildlife protection back by decades.

There are four amendments in particular that must be defeated:

The "open season on wolves" amendment – would delist wolves in Wyoming and the Western Great Lakes. We’ve seen what delisting looks like in Wyoming, where it was open season on wolves every day of the year in 80% of the state before the courts put a stop to it;

The "let’s give up on Mexican gray wolves" amendment – would delist Mexican gray wolves if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines that minimum survival goals under a deficient, outdated plan from 1982 have been met;

The "leave bats in the dust" amendment – would prevent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from protecting the highly imperiled northern long-eared bat as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act; and

The "forget your day in court" amendment – blocks citizens from going to court to hold the government accountable when it does not properly enforce the ESA. This amendment would bar recovery of legal fees otherwise available under the law and allow local governments to veto a federal court’s decision to enforce the law with regard to certain species.

The anti-wildlife forces have their high paid lobbyists and lawyers. Wildlife have you and me as their voice – we're the premier organization speaking out on behalf of wildlife and wild places.

You and I know that most Americans love their wildlife and want to see it protected. It’s up to you and me to make sure the true voices of Americans are heard on Capitol Hill.

Won’t you help us today with a generous donation?

Thank you for all you do.

For the wild,