Editor's note: A rally to raise public awareness about wolves in and around Yellowstone National Park is scheduled for late June near the north entrance to the park at Gardiner, Montana. The following release came from the program's organizers.
The establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 represents one of the greatest achievements in American history, affording protection to one of our country's true wild places. Appreciation for this action, and the land it preserved, is increasing with each passing generation. And Yellowstone is much more than an American treasure; it is an international jewel, attracting millions of people from all over the world every year.
Fast-forward 123 years to 1995 and 1996, when the federal government, at the behest of the American people, released 66 gray wolves into Yellowstone. After one of America's most iconic species was brought to near extinction through hunting, trapping, poisoning, and other government-funded methods in the 19th and 20th centuries, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service finally began to recover this internationally beloved species. And, because of its wildness and large size, as well as its complement of abundant prey species, Yellowstone was one of two places chosen to welcome the wolves home. Idaho was the second place.
On June 28-29, 2014, people of all walks of life are invited to attend Speak for Wolves: Yellowstone 2014, a 2-day family-friendly celebration of wolves, predators and other native species that contribute to our rich national heritage. The event will be held at Arch Park in Gardiner, MT, just north of the Roosevelt Arch, near the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Speak for Wolves: Yellowstone 2014 will feature prominent speakers and authors from the conservation community, and will include live music, education booths, children's activities and food vendors. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition to daytime activities at Arch Park, the screening of two wildlife documentaries will occur on Saturday evening, June 28, at 7 pm. The films will be shown at the Gardiner Community Center, which is located at 210 W. Main Street in downtown Gardiner. Organizers will be showing Predator Defense's film, Exposed: USDA's Secret War on Wildlife and Project Coyote's film, Coexisting with Wildlife: The Marin Livestock and Wildlife Protection Program. The films will be followed by a panel discussion composed of conservationists and scientists. The films are free.
Speak for Wolves: Yellowstone 2014 is an opportunity for the American people to unite and demand wildlife management reform, and to take an important step toward restoring our national heritage. Unbeknownst to many Americans, over 3,000 gray wolves have been slaughtered across America, including around Yellowstone National Park, since certain segments of the wolf population were prematurely stripped of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act just a few years ago. The controversial delisting of the northern Rockies gray wolf was the first time Congress intervened and delisted a species in the 40-year history of the Endangered Species Act.
A public rally is scheduled for late June to raise awareness about wolves/Monty SloanLengthy hunting seasons now occur in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Hunters are permitted to hunt wolves with dogs in Wisconsin. Barbaric trapping/snaring seasons exist in Idaho. The USDA Wildlife Services just gunned-down 23 wolves from a helicopter in a rugged national forest in Idaho. In just 20 years, the federal government has completely reversed its course on the biological recovery of the gray wolf, and is now in the business of wiping them out again.
While many people are calling for relisting of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act, others are saying that it is time to completely reform wildlife management in the United States.
Event organizers for Speak for Wolves: Yellowstone 2014 have developed the following five keys to reforming wildlife management in America:
* Ban trapping/snaring on all federal public lands.
* End grazing on all federal public lands.
* Abolish the predator-control department of the USDA Wildlife Services.
* Reform how state fish and game agencies operate.
* Introduce legislation to protect all predators, including wolves, from sport hunting, trapping, and snaring.
Please consider attending Speak for Wolves: Yellowstone 2014. The only thing that can save the gray wolf from a second extermination is a strong grassroots movement consisting of every-day people. Let's come together and embark on this journey together. Let's make the world a better place, for not only current generations, but also for those generations still to come. Your support is greatly appreciated! Learn more at www.speakforwolves.org or follow the event for updates at www.facebook.com/speakforwolvesyellowstone2014.
Comments
why no, Gary, wolves are responsible for 100% of livestock predation by wolves in Western states infested with wolves. I believe you are erroneously citing the bogus stat that refers to ALL deaths of cattle in ALL states, nothing at all to do with wolves killing livestock here.
A cow that dies of old age in a state like Alabama(no wolves) has nothing to do with a young healthy cow that is killed by wolves, in a state like Wyoming, with wolves. NO comparison or relevancy at all. Wolves that kill livestock in states infested with wolves, are the top cause of deaths by predators. Can you please post the link for your USDA stat of the wolf-killed livestock, in states with wolves only?
90% of the livestock kills are unreported anyway. No one I know has any need to report them now that wolves are delisted, and NO one reports any of their cattle dying of old age or illness, either. Try agian.
Oh, for pete's sake. All of y'all on the polar extremes of the wolf question, trying to piddle on the other guy's Post Toasties. With the "you and your ilk always do blahblah" and "you and the other liars do such'n'such" back and forths I've lost the ability to tell who is on what side. And both sides of you are quickly numbing me on my give-a-damn scale.
If "Lee Dalton" and you choose to identify yourselves, your choice. I would question your motives. I do not wish to "argue" with you anyway.
I do not for my own personal safety after being repeatedly threatened with death and injury by so-called wolflovers. I have never theatened anyone over a disagreement about wolves & never will, be the same cannot be said for your side. Several years ago, I was having a (civil)discussion with a wolflover on a PBS thread about wolves, using my real name. He posted that he wanted to see me "running through the woods, for my life, being shot at". Sorry, but I found that disturbing and soon realized such behavior is typical from wolf lovers. Maybe out of frustration of not saving any wolves, maybe mental illness?
Try brushing up on your reading comprehension, then, "rambler"(btw: "Lee Dalton" wants you to use your REAL name) seems you are having difficulty. I provided you very clear, concise, educated, factual information from someone who lives with wolves: me.
Judging by your naivete and spelling errors, I would doubt your credentials as a "historian".
This is a link on WIKIPEDIA: the "fact" source for all the "wolf links" that people who do not live with wolves are always citing. Tune out if you wish. You cannot deny the similairities. I say if the shoe fits, wear it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare_in_Nazi_Germany
Who ARE these "heavily subsidized" ranchers/farmers? BIGOTED.
Ranchers/farmers not only FEED you but are one of the largest taxpaying bases and provide 17% of this nation's jobs. Do you even know WHAT the subsidies are for? They are for CROPS and help keep the food prices down. They have been slashed by the new Farm Bill, so expect to pay a lot more for your food. Educate yourself.
Again, what are wolves doing to feed the world, pay taxes and provide jobs?
lol, "We"? Who is "We"? Your contingent of wolf warriors that think by harassing and threatening people that live with wolves, like me, you will somehow save wolves? You will not. I choose anonymity #1: to protect my personal safety from threats and harassment from wolf lovers(yes, I have had many threats) and #2: my name isn't important on a discussion forum such as this. Focus on the discussion and not trying to stalk me.
I HAVE disclosed my reasons for commenting on this forum; please review my previous posts. I hate reposting because people are too lazy to read.
I would question your motives for wanting my personal information, what I "do" where I live, my real name, etc. I DO live with here wolves and see what they do in Montana and Idaho. Odd that I do not see you asking anyone else commenting here for their identities or what they "do". I personally don't care.
Funny, the fact that you choose to use your "real" name does not lend you any more credibilty or believability: are you sure it wasn't 10 or 20 "ranchers"?
FYI: just because you see men in a cafe wearing cowboy hats and boots, they aren't always "ranchers". So since you had an indepth discussion with these "ranchers" about wolves, curious as to how many head of livestock did they each have and how many animals have they lost to depredation? How large are their ranches? What are their names? I would know them; at least one or two of them for sure.
I will "await your answers".
NO ranchers, NONE approve of overpopulated predators and are ok with them killing their expensive animals. What hogwash. How ridiculous for you to even insinuate that. Not even Ted Turner is happy with wolves killing his buffalo, and they are killing a lot ( I know two of his ranch managers, on two of his ranches).
Fish & Game has NOT compensated any ranchers for livestock kills recently that I know of, if at all, especially since wolves were delisted. Our neighbors lost 20 cows to wolves several years ago & only recieved a minimal amount that wasn't equal to market value. At least the state trappers killed all the wolves responsible.
Where & when was this and how much was he compensated?
Compensation doesn't cover the full cost of the care, feed, time, vet bills, etc. of any animal killed by wolves. Did your "rancher" friends tell you that, too?
I think you are full of baloney and are making up stories as you go.
"Bear Hunter", is that you? Safe, regulated food, huh? Growth hormone injected, anti-biotic-filled, scrub-fed cattle on public lands that costs US taxpayers over $200 million? And a few hundred million $$ for Wildlife Services? Cattle that roam into national forests, national parks (Bundy, McIrvine...those fine upstanding PUBLIC lands ranchers you mean)? Nope, those ranchers provide only a very small per centage of beef, which is at or near record-high prices right now and most of the workers on those ranches are family members. Oh and Peruvian sheepherders in Idaho. Much of the agricultural work is done by migrant workers. I favor crop farmer moreso than PUBLIC lands ranchers whose cows foul water sources, encroach on habitat for native wildlife, that infect wildlife with diseases (pneumonia spread by domestic sheep to big horn sheep).
And now you have to resort to name-calling? I wasn't referring to crop subsidies but to the ranching subsidies.
Oh you only like the nice animals that YOU and your buddies can hunt, right? What some hunters, and especially trappers do to animals is not so pretty and done by choice. Wolves eat to survive. Well those "nice" animals are there, thriving and healthy because of wolves and not overpopulated due to the lack of predators. The Yellowstone elk herd was artificially inflated due to the lack of predators. Are you going to take a sickly elk or a big, healthy one (that is most likely still of breeding age)? Wolves are happy to take the vulnerable ones due to ill health. Over 2 million cows in MT and wolves took 68 in 2011, 2012 (one or the other), and the ranchers compensated market value for confirmed kills, and yet do nothing to protect their livestock. Must be nice to sit back and collect checks. Is it?
These reports are out every 5 years and based on ranchers' information. If you disagree with it (oh eeegads, the info is compiled by the dag nab f'dral gubmint, it can't be right!!) then blame the ranchers who provided the info....http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=priorities_wi...
You gave no facts, nothing educated, nothing verified. You gave an opinion, period.
Wolf/wildlife viewing brings money into MT, WY, ID and other wolf states---hotels, motels, campgrounds, gas stations, stores, markets, restaurants, gift shops, cameras-equipment, scopes/binoculars, trail guides, wildlife guides...wolf-wildlife viewing contributes $35 million to the Yellowstone areas, gateway towns. That's what wolves provide financially.
I'd also like to thank National Parks Traveler for using photos for cover shots from two of my friends. Thank you!