Tortoise & Hare

And the Winner is…

Hopefully both.

The race against extinction is one that neither the Sonoran
desert tortoise nor the white-sided jackrabbit can afford to
lose. That’s why we recently filed lawsuits to require the
federal government to protect them under the Endangered Species
Act. Write a letter to Interior Secretary Salazar by June 21st,
urging him to deliver this protection:
[http://ga4.org/ct/41LBzBY1USz0/]

The facts are in: the Sonoran desert tortoise’s population has
been slashed in half over the past two decades, and surveys have
counted only five white-sided jackrabbits per year. Threatened
mostly by habitat degradation and the climate crisis, both of
these desert dwellers are in need of immediate help.

WildEarth Guardians is working to protect the tortoise and the
jackrabbit as part of our “Western Ark” campaign, where we are
seeking federal protection for a diversity of life forms – from
plants to mussels to mammals – encompassing 19 U.S states,
Mexico and Canada.

Our Western Ark campaign launched last fall, but unfortunately
the Obama administration has not yet brought smooth sailing – at
least when it comes to endangered species. Despite over 300
species awaiting federal safeguards, the Obama administration
has provided just one previously unprotected species with
listing under the Endangered Species Act. Shockingly, the
tortoise, jackrabbit and hundreds of other imperiled species are
not yet even in the queue for protection.

That’s why we need your help today. Write a letter to Secretary
Salazar by June 21st demanding the change we need to prevent
native wildlife and plants from vanishing forever, including
those we first came to love through childhood fables:
[http://ga4.org/ct/41LBzBY1USz0/]

For the wild,
Nicole Rosmarino
Wildlife Director
WildEarth Guardians

Why do Republicans hate the Earth?

GOP doesn’t consider scientific opinions…again:

Bush to relax protected species rules

Plan takes scientists out of decision making on species status

Bald eagles are among the wildlife protected by the Endangered Species Act over the years. The Interior Department announced plans to streamline the act, a move criticized by environmentalists. The proposal would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews that government scientists have been performing for 35 years.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26143098

This is the same guy that brought this fine example of leadership on the world stage at G8: http://goearth.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/jackass/

Public Wolf Hunts?

  An upcoming court ruling is expected to block public wolf hunts in three states that aimed to kill up to twenty-five percent of the wolf population in the region. 

I’ve sometimes thought about those idiots who killed off the bald eagles.  I shook my head arrogantly at the tiny brains of those before us for not being able to resist sending a species into extinction.  And here we are, talking about public wolf hunts.  It’s shameful. 

Here are the sub-species that lived in our 50 states: 

Kenai Peninsula Wolf (Canis lupus alces) Alaska, EXTINCT!
Texas Gray Wolf (Canis lupus monstrabilis) Texas and Northeast Mexico, EXTINCT!
Great Plains Wolf (Canis lupus mubiles), EXTINCT!
Southern Rocky Mountain Wolf (Canis lupus youngi), EXTINCT!
Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf (Canis lupus irremotus), EXTINCT!

Updated 8:32 p.m. CT, Fri., July. 18, 2008

BILLINGS, Mont. – A federal judge has restored endangered species protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, derailing plans by three states to hold public wolf hunts this fall.

Molloy said hunting and state laws allowing the killing of wolves…would likely “eliminate any chance for genetic exchange to occur.”

Full Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25741975 

Good job Judge Donald Molloy!  Good job to all the environmental groups!  Thank you to all those who also took time to donate to these groups and to sign petitions! 

You can help protect the remaining wolves by joining Wild Earth Guardians, a 4 star charity by CharityNavigator.org.  (4 stars is the highest grade).  Wild Earth Guardians is the new name for the Forest Guardians.  If you are looking for a great cause backed by a very efficient charity that is tax-deductible, this is a good one! 
http://www.fguardians.org/
http://www.wildearthguardians.org/
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=9974 

 

Gray Wolf / Timber Wolf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf 
Sub-Species: http://www.wolvesgalaxy.de/wolfinfo/index.php