|
The NRA Likes Wolves—As Live Targets
In March, WildEarth Guardians and our conservation
colleagues filed a legal brief in federal court to stop the National Rifle
Association and the Safari Club from becoming a party to our litigation to
protect wolves in Wyoming. Guardians and allies commenced this lawsuit to
return wolves to protected status under the Endangered Species Act. Hunters
have decimated the population and social structure of wolves—including many
beloved wolves of Yellowstone National Park—in just one hunting season.
Nineteen other pro-wolf-hunting organizations have already intervened in this
David vs. Goliath battle. Guardians and colleagues will not be intimidated in
our efforts to restore wolf protections—not by the NRA, nor hunting groups who
are allied with the State of Wyoming, nor the federal government.
More...
Coal on the Run
Safeguarding our clean air and climate from coal took some
big strides in the last few weeks, and WildEarth Guardians has been in the
thick of it. Last week, NV Energy,
a Nevada utility, announced it intends to shutter the 612-megawatt Reid Gardner
coal-fired power plant near Las Vegas.
And, the company plans to divest its share of ownership in the
521-megawatt North Valmy plant in northern Nevada. Recognizing the cost is simply too great, the company expects to
ditch 924 megawatts of coal. We’re in court right now challenging NV Energy’s failure to
install up-to-date air pollution controls at its Nevada coal plants,
so the latest news is vindication that our pressure is paying off. It also confirms a heartening
trend of powering past coal, which was recently reported on in The
Washington Post. In 2013, we
expect to step up our activities with the ultimate goal of securing the
retirement of 5,000 megawatts of coal-fired electricity in the American West by
2015.
More…
Federal Agency Attempts Cover Up of Illegal Shooting of Lobo
The federal government tried to cover-up the illegal murder
of a critically endangered Mexican gray wolf by one of its employees. An
employee of “Wildlife Services,” the euphemistically named, taxpayer-funded
program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture may have shot a highly-endangered
Mexican wolf in January according to a recent story in The Albuquerque Journal. The matter is now “under investigation,”
and the federal agent may become the symbolic fall guy for an entire misguided
program that embraces a culture of concealment and cruelty. This incident
showcases that “Wildlife Services” has both chronic public accountability
problems, while it conducts a controversial, brutal, and dangerous 100-year war
on America’s wildlife. WildEarth Guardians continues to shine a spotlight on this rogue agency's secretive and cruel practices, and we invite you to send your representatives an email today demanding they bring this matter under a full federal investigation.
More…
Endangered Species Listings Keep Moving Forward
WildEarth Guardians’ settlement agreement with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service is still making national news nearly a year and a half
after we reached it, and with good reason; it advances protections for 252
candidate species and nearly 600 other species, some of which have been waiting
decades for the protective shield of the Endangered Species Act. Check out the
most recent coverage about the settlement in The New York Times. We continue to
leverage this historic agreement to ensure that all these imperiled species
gain a safe, permanent home where they can thrive.
More…
Twenty Years Later and Still Fighting for the Mexican Spotted Owl
On the twentieth anniversary of federal listing of the
Mexican spotted owl under the Endangered Species Act, WildEarth Guardians sued
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for failing to ensure the species’
survival and recovery. Guardians’ previous legal campaigns in the mid-nineties led
to significant reductions in old-growth logging on national forests that
benefited the owl. But even since the FWS listed the owl under the ESA in March
1993, circumstances for the bird have continued to deteriorate. The owl
continues to suffer declines in its population and at the same time, the FWS
endorses the Forest Service’s increasingly aggressive logging projects that
waive all owl protective requirements. WildEarth Guardians contends that
wildfire hysteria has trumped reason resulting in widespread “thinning” and
logging that has led to significant harm to the owl’s habitat.
More...
LoboWeek: A 15th Anniversary Celebration of Mexican Wolf Restoration
WildEarth Guardians joined a host of wildlife organizations,
zoos, local businesses, and individuals during the week of March 23
to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the restoration of Mexican wolves,
the most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in North America, to the
wilds of Arizona and New Mexico. The groups celebrated the milestone with a
party—real and virtual—to crow about this milestone. Yet, the lobos’ future success will depend on deeper
commitment by federal land and wildlife management agencies to fully recover
them. WildEarth Guardians and our colleagues are part of the “pack” that
constantly apply pressure to ensure the recovery of ‘El Lobo.’
More...
Meet our new Wild Rivers Program Director
WildEarth Guardians
is pleased to announce the hiring of Jen Pelz as our new Wild Rivers Program
Director. Jen grew up in New Mexico and became connected to the rivers of the
southwest as a child, while hiking and fishing along the Conejos River in
Colorado. She practiced law for seven years at a small private firm in Denver,
litigating land use, public lands, and water law cases. Jen has taken the reins
of our priority campaign for a free-flowing Rio Grande and is already
advocating for a healthy Rio Grande and the species that depend upon it for
their survival.
More...
photo credits: (left side from top) wolves: Ken Canning. Nevada meme: WildEarth Guardians. Mexican wolf: Fotolia. Coral pink sand dune tiger beetle: Chris Wirth. Mexican spotted owl: istock. Mexican wolf: Jim Schultz/Chicago Zoological Society. (right side) Wetland Sunset: Jess Alford. Activist Sophia Coury: Sophia Coury. Wild Walk: Mark Pardo Salon Spa. Hotel Andaluz: Hotel Andaluz. Wolf Trio: Ray Rafiti. Tree planting: Jess Alford.
|
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the recent Boston tragedy.
Activist Spotlight
I’m thrilled to be interning with WildEarth Guardians. Currently working on law school applications, I’m grateful for the exposure to
see how and why strategic policies and grassroots efforts are so vital to
preserving the Earth’s resources and natural treasures. All of the
campaigns are well designed, thoughtful, and effective, and I’m so lucky to
gain experience and work alongside such passionate and intelligent thinkers,
doers, and hard-workers.
~Sophia Coury, Tulsa, OK
Mark Pardo Salon Spa, in conjunction with Aveda Institute
New Mexico, will be hosting a Wild Walk benefit for Guardians on Earth Day in
Albuquerque—Sunday, April 21. Meet wolves and wildlife, and walk along the bosque to raise funds to protect
the endangered Mexican lobo and the iconic Rio Grande. Visit Aveda's website to
register and get more information.
Hotel Andaluz in
Albuquerque is offering a 'Ride the Rails' package that encourages travelers to
ditch their cars and travel green. In honor of Earth Day ten percent of
proceeds for ‘Ride the Rails’ bookings for travel between April 19-21 will be donated to WildEarth Guardians.
The package includes deluxe accommodations for two, Rail Runner
tickets, breakfast, and passes to the New Mexico Sports &
Wellness Fitness Center.
Visit the Hotel Andaluz website for more details.
Act Now! It’s time to purchase your tickets and make your
plans for Guardians' 5th Annual Howling Affair being held at the Oxford Hotel
in Denver on May 9. This year's speaker is carnivore biologist Paul Paquet who
has spent more than 40 years covering subjects ranging from the worldwide decline
of large carnivores to the philosophical relationship of animal welfare and
conservation.
Guardians would like to give a special shout-out to our event
sponsor DDC Freight Process Outsourcing. We are so grateful for their generous
support.
Every year WildEarth Guardians plants tens of thousands of trees as part of our mission to heal wounded riparian areas. This year we will plant at three sites in the Jemez Mountains and you're invited. Then sustain them year round with your monthly donation of $5 or more. Planting days are May 4, May 18, & June 1. To participate contact Angelisa Espinoza, 505 988-9126x0 or aespinoza@wildearthguardians.org
Mark your calendars for our 10th annual Guardians Gala this fall, September 27
at the Farmer’s Market Pavillion in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This years’ featured
guest is author and environmental activist, Derrick Jensen. Watch for more
info!
|
