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For Immediate Release
Defenders of Wildlife Highlights Plight of North American Gray Wolves During Wolf Awareness Week, October 17th Through 23rd
WASHINGTON , DC – The North American gray wolf population is growing, yet this growth will only continue if federal protections remain in place, Defenders of Wildlife cautioned during National Wolf Awareness Week.
“National Wolf Awareness week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the progress wolves are making,” stated Nina Fascione, Vice President of Species Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife. “And while the number of wolves has grown from just under one-thousand, when the species was listed on the Endangered Species Act, to over four-thousand today, wolves are still a threatened species.”
As one of the leading wolf conservation organizations, Defenders proactively engages in aggressive efforts to protect the species by using the following methods:- Defenders helps pioneer the use of economic incentives to promote protection of the endangered species on private lands by managing The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Wolf Compensation Trust. The fund pays livestock owners for losses due to wolf predation.
- Defenders implements proactive measures to prevent wolf-human conflict using The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund. Monies from the fund are used for practical projects that help reduce conflict.
- Defenders also works closely with law enforcement agencies to stop illegal killing of imperiled species like the wolf and has set up the Imperiled Predator Fund which is used to help authorities uncover information on illegal wolf hunting.
- And, when necessary, Defenders litigates against federal and state initiatives that jeopardize wolf recovery efforts.
Yet, despite the gains in wolf populations, the species faces many obstacles including a federal proposal to remove protections for it in the Eastern U.S. , an expansion of Alaska ’s aerial gunning program and an increase in illegal killings throughout the Southwest.
“The threats facing wolves throughout our country can have repercussions if left unchecked,” stated Fascione.
Ms. Fascione expanded on the following threats to the wolf:
- The federal government has proposed removing federal protections for wolves throughout the entire eastern United States and thus effectively ending the species recovery before it is complete.
- Alaska Board of Game members have proposed tripling the area covered by the aerial killing program in 2005 to a total of 50,000 square miles of land. If not reversed, this decision is a death sentence for nearly 900 wolves on top of the 1500 taken annually by other means. The loss of wolves will severely affect Alaska ’s ecological balance.
- Throughout the Southwest, wolves have been illegally killed as they begin a perilous path to recovery.
- Expanded development, road building and pollution continue to encroach on wolf habitat, thus threatening the species and further forcing wolves into human communities.
“During Wolf Awareness Week, I urge all Americans to take a second look at this valuable and often misunderstood creature. Wolves have been an integral part of the North American ecosystem for hundreds of years and they remain so today,” added Fascione.
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Defenders of Wildlife is one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat, and was named as one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife and habitat. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.
