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
For the record, Freedom, your tax dollars don't support this site. We're an independent business, not part of the National Park Service.
The back story behind someone with that much venom and anger boiling over is occasionally at least forensically interesting, but I'm not asking for it.
How dare I tell the truth about wolves destroying wildlife. I mean really let's allow the wolves to destroy all the wildlife and starve to death. Who goes to a national Park and wants to see wildlife trees and grass are so cool to look at. Anger and Venom is telling the truth? You are little strange Rick.
That's good to know my tax dollars are not being wasted. So you people just hate wildlife and support allowing the wolves to destroy the ecosystem?
Why are you allowing the wolf pimps to pollute this page? This is for the public not the tiny lunatic fringe that only love wolves. Let do a fact check on the destruction wolves have caused.1. Before wolves Yellowstone had around 1200 moose today less than 10 moose survived the slaughter. So the National park is supporting driving animal to extinction?2. The Northern Yellowstone elk herd was over 19,000 before the wolves today 2083 survived the slaughter from wolves. That is disgusting you are allowing wolves and bears to destroy all wildlife in the park.3. The number 1 killer of Yellowstone wolves is what? Not hunting, not trapping, not vehicles. The number 1 killer of Yellowstone wolves is other wolves. That is straight from the NPS report.4, Who is the tiny lunatic fringe group to say what happens on Federal land. Ban trapping and hunting of predators so the wolves can destroy and drive to extinction more of our wildlife. How about ban wolf pimps from all Federal land.5. How dare you use my Federal money to allow these wolf pimps to be on this page. This is all about deadbeats collecting money so they don't have to work for a living. Don't believe me look at the donate now button, look at buy the T shirts all they care about is the money not the destruction of Yellowstone wildlife to the point it is ridiculous the wolves are starving to death and seeing elk in the park is becoming rare. The public last year were complaining where is all the wildlife. Did you tell them the truth the wolves kill most of the wildlife.
Shameful. Where is the opposing view from people that actually LIVE with wolves?
It is unfortunate that you are clearly siding with uninformed, out-of-state wolf lovers who do not have a clue about living with wolves. They have a ridiculous agenda of hateful bigotry and predjudice against ranchers who have been here for generations and FEED them and hunting/trapping, also a tradtion steeped in history and a necessary management tool for reducing predator numbers. These are the full-time residents that live around Yellowstone.
Ranching and Hunting/Trapping are our national heritage. Two of the passions of one of the founders of Yellowstone: Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was an avid wolf hunter and rancher.
All this wolf lover propaganda is under the guise of "raising awareness about wolves".
We are "aware" of wolves and the devastation they cause because we WITNESS it. They need to be "aware" the wolves are overpopulated, delisted, and there is a legal hunting/trapping season on them. Reality.
Yet they see fit to come into our states: Wyoming, Idaho and Montana to stage a rally to arrogantly attempt to outline how they think we should live our lives. They are preaching to the choir. We do not care about their demands and they need to worry about issues in their own backyards.
I agree. Donate. Donate. Donate. Someone will get a new car out of it and no wolves will be saved. Guaranteed.
The full-time residents that actually live near the park do not need to be lectured about wolves by ill-informed tourists that visit wolfdog parks back East. We see what wolves do. They are delisted and it is legal to hunt and trap them. Period.
Its people like freedom1080 and livingwithwolves above that wolf advocates strive to show another way to coexist with wolves. Its people like this spreading their pure uneducated wolf hate everywhere they go that has to change. They stubornly cling to bad husbantry practices, refuse to listen to the other causes that effect undulate population, besides wolves. I can only think that their world is a tiny place. They refuse to learn nonlethal methods that work and would increase their bottom dollar raising livestock in wolf country. They continue to insist the wolf is the root to all evil. So that they can continue on their mission to hate. They refuse to accknowledge the good things wolves do for their ecosystem and for all of us.
Dispite what they say most wolf conservation groups are not in it for a new car. Most are non-profit and my own group is totally run by volunteers which receive no money for anything they do to run the group. Not one cent goes to any purpose other than to run the organazation. Not one member gets a dime. It all goes to support other wolf conservation missions and programs by wolf groups and educate the public about wolves, advocate for wolves and show people how to live with them so that wolves, livestock and people can tuely coexist where all will survive better. Yes they sell shirts but again, not one dime goes to any member of the organazation. It all goes to combat the hate like I read above every day that I advocate for the wolves.
Learning better ways seem to not be in these peoples worlds. And so my mission continues. Educate, advocate and participate for wolves.