Keep Oregon's Wolves Protected
- by: Center for Biological Diversity
- recipient: Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission
Against the advice of many top wolf biologists and other scientists, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is moving ahead with a plan to remove wolves from state protection. They will be voting on this disastrous proposal on November 9th, and we need your help to stop them. These wolves are the source population for wolves to spread to the rest of Oregon, so if they lose protections now recovery across the state is doomed. They also are the source population for wolves to make it to California, so even wolf recovery in the Golden State would be curtailed.
Please join us in telling the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission that wolf recovery is nowhere near complete, and to vote no on ending wolf protection.
Oregon wolves occupy just 12 percent of the habitat deemed suitable by the state, and most of those wolves live in the northeast region, where wolves are already less protected due to certain provisions in the state wolf plan. Those wolves are the source population for wolves to spread to the rest of Oregon. So if they lose protections now, recovery across the state is doomed.
Take action today -- tell your state wildlife officials to keep wolves protected.
Please join us in telling the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission that wolf recovery is nowhere near complete, and to vote no on ending wolf protection.
Oregon wolves occupy just 12 percent of the habitat deemed suitable by the state, and most of those wolves live in the northeast region, where wolves are already less protected due to certain provisions in the state wolf plan. Those wolves are the source population for wolves to spread to the rest of Oregon. So if they lose protections now, recovery across the state is doomed.
Take action today -- tell your state wildlife officials to keep wolves protected.
I am writing in support of maintaining protections for gray wolves under Oregon's Endangered Species Act. Delisting wolves in Oregon is extremely premature, and I urge the commission to reject any such recommendation for the following reasons:
-- Oregon's wolves are nowhere near recovered. Scientists indicate Oregon could support up to 1,450 wolves, and yet there are only an estimated 83 wolves in the state today.
-- Most published studies on species viability indicate there needs to be a population in the range of several thousand animals -- not a mere 83
-- to be able to withstand catastrophic events like disease outbreaks.
-- The state wildlife agency's report notes that if the number of wolves killed each year increases from 7 or 8 wolves up to 11 or 12 wolves, the chance of Oregon's wolf population failing increases to a staggering 50 percent probability. That's a huge increase in risk to Oregon's wolves -- we must apply the precautionary principle of science and wait until the state's wolf population is larger before wolves are delisted.
-- The Oregon ESA requires that delisting decisions be based on science which has been peer-reviewed by an outside panel of expert scientists who have no bias in the issue. If the commission will be basing its delisting decision on the state wildlife agency's gray wolf status review and population-viability analysis, the commission must first get these reports peer-reviewed by independent, outside scientists.
-- Most of Oregon's wolves live in the northeastern part of the state and already are less protected than they used to be due to some provisions in the state wolf plan that recently went into effect. Those wolves are the source population for the rest of the state, so we should wait to see how those wolves fare under less protective management before we consider removing safeguards entirely.
-- Oregon's small wolf population exists only because of state protections and model rules for coexisting with wolves to reduce unnecessary conflict. Delisting would result in a big step backwards.
-- Oregon's natural heritage includes our magnificent wildlife and wolves are a part of that heritage; they deserve continued protections and a real shot at recovery to ensure this natural heritage will exist for future generations.
[Your comments will be added here]
In sum, I urge you to follow the law, science and strong conservation-minded values of our state to preserve our natural heritage and keep wolves protected at this time.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign Petition-- Oregon's wolves are nowhere near recovered. Scientists indicate Oregon could support up to 1,450 wolves, and yet there are only an estimated 83 wolves in the state today.
-- Most published studies on species viability indicate there needs to be a population in the range of several thousand animals -- not a mere 83
-- to be able to withstand catastrophic events like disease outbreaks.
-- The state wildlife agency's report notes that if the number of wolves killed each year increases from 7 or 8 wolves up to 11 or 12 wolves, the chance of Oregon's wolf population failing increases to a staggering 50 percent probability. That's a huge increase in risk to Oregon's wolves -- we must apply the precautionary principle of science and wait until the state's wolf population is larger before wolves are delisted.
-- The Oregon ESA requires that delisting decisions be based on science which has been peer-reviewed by an outside panel of expert scientists who have no bias in the issue. If the commission will be basing its delisting decision on the state wildlife agency's gray wolf status review and population-viability analysis, the commission must first get these reports peer-reviewed by independent, outside scientists.
-- Most of Oregon's wolves live in the northeastern part of the state and already are less protected than they used to be due to some provisions in the state wolf plan that recently went into effect. Those wolves are the source population for the rest of the state, so we should wait to see how those wolves fare under less protective management before we consider removing safeguards entirely.
-- Oregon's small wolf population exists only because of state protections and model rules for coexisting with wolves to reduce unnecessary conflict. Delisting would result in a big step backwards.
-- Oregon's natural heritage includes our magnificent wildlife and wolves are a part of that heritage; they deserve continued protections and a real shot at recovery to ensure this natural heritage will exist for future generations.
[Your comments will be added here]
In sum, I urge you to follow the law, science and strong conservation-minded values of our state to preserve our natural heritage and keep wolves protected at this time.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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