Maintaining federal protection for wolves re-colonizing areas of the West is likely one of the most important elements to the scientifically defensible recovery of this species. Unfortunately, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) is currently reviewing options that likely include dropping federal protections across most of the American West. As the wolf is both an iconic symbol symbol of that which is truly wild and is an important keystone predator, Cascadia Wildlands and our partners in wolf conservation strongly oppose any action to declare Western wolf recovery "mission accomplished." We would ask the USFWS to examine the calamitous post-delisting population trends in the Northern Rockies–including wolves killed from the Yellowstone population– and understand the implications of this action for western wolf recovery. Put simply, how can the USFWS justifiably de-list wolves in the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Rockies, if they know that this action is likely to reverse the current recovery trends of the animal?
Please join us in sending a message to the USFWS about their contemplated move. Sign our on-line petition calling for maintaining federal protection for wolves in the West–it is part of our western heritage and we want it back. We like it wild.
