We also knew that state governments, pandering to this hatred, would do anything they could to get around Judge Molloy's ruling, aiming to appease the large number of vocal hunters and ranchers who are rabidly opposed to wolves, while ignoring open-minded members of those groups who are willing to accept wolves as part of a balanced ecosystem.

 

How did Idaho's Governor "Butch" Otter react to the judge's decision?  He decided to whip up his campaign for re-election by announcing that his state officials would have nothing more to do with enforcing wolf protection, tossing the ball back to the Department of the Interior.

In Montana, the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced that they are eliminating the important post of statewide coordinator of matters involving wolves, a key job for the last decade.

 

So, with no one to enforce Judge Molloy's decision, and opportunistic anti-wolf hunters out in the backcountry,  who's in charge? The Department of the Interior has no enforcement officers on the ground. Governor Otter's decision signals a wink and a green light to wolf poachers, and Montana now has no one on the job.
 

Additionally, multiple appeals have been filed to challenge the judge's decision.  His ruling has also triggered a barrage of bills in both the House and Senate seeking to legislatively remove wolves from the Endangered Species List.

 

Who is the loser in this political game of tag? Wolves, of course. During 2009, 530 dead wolves were reported, taken from the 1,350 originally living in Montana and Idaho at the beginning of that year. And that number doesn't include the number that poachers kill, without reporting them to authorities. Reliable studies suggest that nearly as many wolves were killed illegally as were killed legally.

 

Despite what you might think, with a reintroduced animal so recently removed from the Endangered Species List, there aren't very many wolves in the Lower 48 states. More wolves live in Idaho than in any other Rocky Mountain state. The highest official count ever in Idaho was 846 wolves. To put this number into context, Idaho alone is home to about 50,000 coyotes and 20,000 bears. In the three states where most wolves live, the elk population has actually grown from 350,000 in August 2009 to 371,000 in August 2010, despite stories that wolves are killing off the elk herds.

 

We're working tirelessly to speak out and stand up for wolves on your behalf. What rational and effective steps are we taking? Keep reading. We're delighted to announce some very important news!
 

If you would like to help us fund our lean, hardworking, effective operation,  please Click Here to Donate.  We appreciate your support!

 Two new Boards: Bringing reason to the debate.

 

Our new Honorary Board:  Our efforts on behalf of wolves have captured the attention of four eminent and esteemed leaders in the field of wildlife protection. Dr. Jane Goodall, Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen and Robert Redford all enthusiastically agreed to join our Honorary Board, lending stature that opens doors and reaches out to millions. We're delighted to have their endorsement of our work.

 

Our new Advisory Board:  In addition, we are honored to announce a ground-breaking advisory board that will provide us with reliable, precise and factual information, making the best use of the members' unequaled expertise. The reintroduced wolves of the West share the landscape with many established human interests. The members of this board are each experts in their own wolf-related and wolf-affected field, offering professional expertise, credibility and accuracy. Our advisors represent

• Science and wolf recovery (biology, ecology and animal behavior)
• Economics and tourism (income derived from wildlife tourism vs. funding of management agencies by relying solely on hunting license sales)
• Ranching and livestock (active ranchers using wolf-compatible management  techniques) and
• Ethical hunting (law-abiding hunters, willing to meet the challenge of hunting game that has become more alert and mobile in the presence of wolves).

Having access to the respected members of this Advisory Board will facilitate net-

working between the stakeholders in the wolf issue, create productive dialogue, and

move the debate forward, outside the volatile world of politics. Our goal, as always, is

to lead to a common understanding and a mutually acceptable solution for wolves and

people. (A full list of these board members and their biographies can be found here.)

Facebook: Reaching a whole new audience, faster.

We're now on Facebook, bringing important contact to even more wolf supporters.

From the moment it first was up and running, the site has been growing daily. Our

viewers? An otherwise-hard-to-reach audience in the 25 - 44 age group. We're on

target to increase information available, keeping you up to date. Check it out and

share the news with a friend!  

Taking it back to Washington: Making sure they hear from you.

 

We've held a series of meetings with key Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife

staff members in Washington, discussing the effects of wolf management policies,

reporting on-the-ground realities in the West. It's information they need to hear, and

we're eager to share it, so your voice is heard where it counts.

Multimedia presentations, the heart of our work.

 

We're on the road, focusing where wolves are most in danger, presenting our fact-

filled programs, sharing honest information in person with more than 20,000 people

so far. We know that speaking to children remains the key to a future where clear

thinking will stop this slaughter. 

 

We're dedicated to what we do, and know that you too are a believer in preserving

complete and functional ecosystems where wolves can live as they were meant to.

Please help us save wolves who have nowhere else to turn but to you, someone who believes in them. Thank you!