Group tries to force national wolf recovery
Uses action as fundraiser
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
January 6, 2011
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed its notice of intent to file a lawsuit seeking to have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protect wolves across the United States. Numerous press accounts provide statements from a CBD press release, but a Dec. 21, 2010 email from the organization provides the following:
"Just hours ago, the Center for Biological Diversity initiated a lawsuit against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to protect wolves across all of the United States.
"We were able to file the legal action today because of the generous, triple-matched donations to our Endangered Species Action Fund over the past two weeks. Thanks to all who contributed so quickly.
"I'm writing you now because the Center's the group that fights hardest for -- and wins -- protections for species on the brink of extinction. And we'll need additional funds to see this case and others through. Please help by making a donation today to the Endangered Species Action Fund. A Center donor will triple-match any gift received by Dec. 31, so your donation will be worth three times as much.
"In lock-step with Bush-era policies, Salazar has already allowed hundreds of wolves to be killed in the Northern Rockies, Great Lakes and even the Southwest, where just 42 wild wolves remain.
"In April 2011, Salazar will begin stripping federal protection completely in the Rockies and Great Lakes, opening the door to thousands more of these majestic animals being shot and poisoned.
"The Center asked Salazar earlier this year to develop a nationwide wolf recovery plan instead of piecemealing the three existing populations to death. A recovery plan would ensure wolves are reintroduced to wild areas in the Northeast, California, Utah, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. It would also require updating of the wildly inadequate recovery goals for the Northern Rockies, Great Lakes and Southwest populations.
"Salazar has refused to even respond to our legal petition. So today, with the help of our supporters, we filed a formal "notice of intent to sue" to save wolves, the first step in a lawsuit to force the government to back away from killing wolves and begin planning for their nationwide recovery."
The fundraising message was signed by CBD executive director Kieran Suckling.
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