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Wildlife Killing Program Dealt a Blow
Coyotes, wolves, and other wild cousins are a step closer to safety this month after an appeals court opened the door for Guardians to hopefully put an end to our federal government’s cruel wildlife killing program. For years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ill-named Wildlife Services program has waged a war on western wildlife at the behest of the agricultural industry. Although we’ve filed suit and mobilized our members across the country to put an end to this program, a federal court in Nevada refused to let our case proceed. Our successful legal appeal requires the federal court in Nevada must hear us out, giving new hope that we can keep wildlife safe and end the government’s war on wildlife. Read more >>> It's Time to Keep Our Coal in the Ground
Our campaign to protect the climate by keeping coal in the ground kicked into high gear in August. Coinciding with hearings held by the U.S. Department of the Interior, we delivered a resounding message: it’s time to stop selling and mining publicly owned coal. Interior oversees 40% of all coal production in the U.S., producing more than 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the nation. Our efforts kicked off with the release of a report detailing our five-point plan for ending the federal coal program. We followed up by rallying members in Gillette, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico, where we joined an overwhelming majority and delivered more than 6,500 petition signatures calling on Interior to Keep Our Coal in the Ground. Read more >>> Guardians Decries New Mexico's War on Bears, Cougars
In spite of widepsread efforts to convince them otherwise, on August 27 New Mexico’s Game Commission approved more bear hunting and cougar trapping, taking a huge step backward for carnivores in the state. Thank you for being a voice for bears, cougars and wolves. The new rule allows cougar trapping on State Trust Lands, eliminates permitting requirements for trappers on private land, and increases the black bear hunting quota by over 25%. This is yet another example of how western state agencies put wildlife killing above science, ignore the benefits of native carnivores to healthy ecosystems, and dismiss the interests of non-consumptive users of our public lands. Guardians attended the hearing and strongly opposed the proposal. Together with our partners, we’ll keep speaking up. Read more >>>Pushing Back on Colorado Logging
WildEarth Guardians is countering a plan to cut down nearly 190 square miles of national forest in western Colorado, citing threats to lynx and other wildlife. The misguided proposal would not only clear cut extensive swaths of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, but also allow 260 miles of roads to be carved into the landscape. While the U.S. Forest Service claims the logging is needed for forest health, it really amounts to a blank check for the timber industry to cut down trees wherever it wants, destroying vital wildlife habitat and beautiful forests. We’re pushing back to defend our Rocky Mountain forests from out of control logging.
Read more >>> Slashed Sage Grouse Protections Exposed
We exposed the federal government this month for slashing over 16 million acres of prime sage grouse habitat across the American West. Our new report, “The Shrinking Geography of Sage Grouse Conservation,” found the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management eliminated protections, and opened up to development, an area the size of South Carolina. Our analysis compared maps of habitat originally proposed for protection with current plans. Even though the Forest Service and BLM claimed consistent protections our analysis found otherwise. Check out the interactive maps on our website and see where we’re pushing back against efforts to undermine safeguards for sage grouse, our western public lands, and your legacy and birthright. Read more >>>
165,000 Speak Out: Stop Fracking Chaco
WildEarth Guardians joined a growing coalition to deliver more than 165,000 petition signatures calling for an end to fracking in the Greater Chaco region in northwest New Mexico. The petitions were delivered to U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, and came as a federal court declined to halt illegal fracking in the region. With Chaco Canyon at its heart, Greater Chaco faces an onslaught of new drilling and fracking, threatening the region’s deep cultural heritage, the climate, and impacting native and other human communities. In spite of the court setback, we’re doubling down to rein in the oil and gas industry. Watch for opportunities to take action again soon. Read more >>> River Reform on the Horizon
A bill to boost stream flows in the Rio Grande Basin was introduced this month by U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, a positive sign for fish, wildlife, and our river’s future. The New Mexico Drought Preparedness Act of 2015 would direct the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to develop a water acquisition program for the Rio Grande where water can be leased and purchased from willing sellers. It comes on the heels of similar state-specific legislation introduced by Senators Diane Feinstein of California and Maria Cantwell of Washington. Guardians has long urged that such market-driven programs be established to provide a mechanism for protecting flows in the Rio Grande and other western rivers, especially in the face of mounting drought. Cultural Treasure Threatened by Livestock Grazing
Guardians called on the Bureau of Land Management to reject plans for livestock grazing in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, a cultural treasure in southwestern Colorado. Even though Canyons of the Ancients holds “the highest known” density of archaeological sites in the U.S. and evidence of human cultures and traditions spanning thousands of years, the BLM wants to open up sensitive areas to cattle grazing. Together with a coalition of local communities, NGO’s, businesses, and concerned members, Advocates for the West filed appeals on our behalf against new grazing permits and demanded that they be rejected to protect the region’s sensitive landscape and rich and diverse history. Read more >>> photo credits: (Left column) coyote pup—Sam Parks Photography. Keep it in the Ground logo—WildEarth Guardians. Rally for wolves—WildEarth Guardians. Colorado—WildEarth Guardians. sage grouse—WildEarth Guardians. activists deliver petitions to Congress—WildEarth Guardians. Rio Grande—WildEarth Guardians. Canyons of the Ancients—Graeme Churchard. (Right column) Juli Wagner—Juli Wagner. Guardians Gala—WildEarth Guardians. Never Cry Wolf—Open Roads Media. Cecil the lion—Wikipedia Commons. Keep it in the Ground logo—WildEarth Guardians. |
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