Greetings!

With snow again covering the high peaks and valleys around us, we listen, half expecting to hear the sound of wolves, howling in the chilly dark of night. And we remember our time with the Sawtooth Pack. In our tent, relying on the wood stove, we stayed warm while the wolves slept in the deep snow, curled up, tails covering noses. Suddenly, for some reason they didn't share with us, they'd be up and  running around, bounding after snowflakes, chasing each other through the silent snowfall, excited, and playing tag in their thick fur coats.

Things have changed since those days, and we now find ourselves in critically important times, with challenges facing us daily. For example, 80% of the wolves in the West live in Montana and Idaho where wolf-hunting is permitted. In Idaho a trapping season is also underway. In 2011, 319 wolves were killed in the state-sanctioned hunting and trapping seasons. And at least another 121 were killed in response to depredation on livestock. Of a two-state population that started the year at 1,316, at least 440 wolves were killed by people in 2011. And 32 more have been shot or trapped in the first ten days of 2012. These figures do not account for the unknown number of poached wolves, which an Idaho Fish and Game study suggests may be close to the number legally killed by hunters. This amounts to a lot of dead wolves, especially considering that the hunting seasons in most of Idaho and Montana are only about halfway through.

Malicious nonsense, bearing no relation to truth, runs rampant on the internet, as wild tales based on ancient myths are brought back to haunt us, part of a propaganda struggle with wolves used as political  bargaining chips. The killing is real, however, as their numbers are drastically reduced by the ill-considered actions of governors and legislators, uninformed at best, offering appeasement to their special interest constituencies.

And thousands of eager citizens lay down their cash to buy hunting licenses, ready to kill a wolf, without any knowledge of  how a pack lives or functions. Their bravado lacks any awareness of research that suggests picking off individual wolves, as "trophies" or out of sheer malice, makes the situation worse: worse for wild wolves, worse for livestock, and for other wildlife as well.

What can you do about this? As a conscientious, informed donor, committed to trying to do the right thing for wildlife, you have every right to ask, "What exactly will Living with Wolves DO with my contribution? Could I have some specifics, please?" Your mail is full of heart-wrenching stories from groups of all kinds, but where can you find the most impact for the things that matter most to you? Do you know how your money is being spent?

At Living with Wolves, we challenge the misinformation spread by anti-wolf extremists, as we engage both citizens and policymakers, fulfilling our difficult but incredibly rewarding responsibility to these animals. We are laser-focused on one key issue, THE major wildlife issue in the nation today: wolves. And, as a follower of our work, you know we prove consistently that we're in a unique position to fill that role.   

Determined to take action wherever it is needed most, we continue to hold the line against those with a distorted vision of what a functional ecosystem should be. First as Emmy award-winning filmmakers and naturalists whose lives were changed by these majestic and complex animals, we then carefully built the foundation of our nonprofit organization with your help.   

Living with Wolves is now recognized as an important leader in wolf issues, with a distinguished Honorary Board and Board of Directors, and an Advisory Board comprising an extraordinary group of the top wolf specialists in their fields: wildlife biologists, scientists, economists, ranchers and ethical hunters, all working together. (We encourage you to read their professional biographies on our website.) Our team works hard, but there's no question that our opposition continues to grow, backed by special interest groups with strong political and financial support.

Over the years, with your ongoing support, our work has grown in scope and impact. As we work to protect the progress we have made, we want to share our innovative plans for what lies ahead:

Our Advisory Board, planning for the future: For the first time, we're bringing together all the members of our Advisory Board, assembling these talented and committed leaders to plan collective actions to effectively advance the cause of wolves. Addressing the questions that wolf management has introduced to the biological, human and political scene, a national conference on wolves will be of great benefit to wildlife managers, to the national and local press, to regional economies, and to the general public. Our advisors are eager to get going, and so are we.

Working with Congress: Here's an excellent example of our ability to move quickly when we're needed: Knowing that bills regarding the future of wolves were reaching the floors of the House and Senate, furtively tagged onto the contentious budget bill, we prepared a bound 26-page position paper entitled, "Wolves at a Crossroads: The Endangered Species Act in Peril." Meticulously researched and vetted, it was hand delivered to the office of every member of Congress as these bills moved forward. Former California Senator John Tunney, a member of our Board of Directors who served as the floor manager of the original Endangered Species Act, enclosed a hand-signed personal letter, as did Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee, a member of the distinguished family of environmentalists. (Copies of this document and their letters can be found on our web site.)

In a one-two punch, we simultaneously presented a museum-quality photographic exhibit in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office  Building in Washington, D.C. Instantly engaging and larger than life, the surrounding photographs of wolves, accompanied by fact-filled panels, greeted members of Congress, their staffs, students on school field trips, and diplomats from around the world as they entered through this main doorway across the lawn from the Capitol building. These extraordinary images told the truth about wolves as Congress was blindly stripping them of their Endangered Species status, jeopardizing all wildlife as well. We have expanded this exhibit and are now looking for funding to establish a travel schedule that will take it around the nation, sharing critical information about wolves in a captivating format.

Working with national, regional and state wildlife officials: Through personal visits, phone meetings and correspondence, we earned the confidence of key administrators in federal and state offices who know that our viewpoint, and yours, matters. We may not win every point, but we're there to make sure your voice is heard, presenting facts from the ground battle in the West, and presenting options that need to be considered. It's an obligation we take seriously. As management of wolves devolves to state and local levels, the intentions of laws can get muddied by the reality on the ground. We will continue to be there to present realistic solutions, to vet reports, to let managers know that we want to work with them, not against them, whenever possible.

Our personal multimedia appearances, winning over audiences: As the founders of Living with Wolves, we continue our educational outreach programs, speaking to groups all over the nation, sharing a stunning multimedia event that changes minds, wins over hearts and spreads honest information. We're now focusing upcoming events in key areas where wolves are reappearing, like the Pacific Northwest. The story of our personal experiences with a wolf pack, and the incredible photographs and film footage that illustrate our observations all reflect the true nature of wolves. To hear the sighs and cheers of people of all ages who are watching (even distracted and skeptical high school kids) is to understand how important this work is.

Our social media outreach: Our Facebook page, website, e-blasts and e-newsletters have an influential and dedicated readership, ranging from top administrators in key government agencies at state and federal levels to students of all ages. Thousands of supporters check in regularly to keep up with reliable information. Wildlife managers, and people like you who understand the importance of protecting wolves, depend on our communications. We're consistently a leader with breaking news about wolf issues, providing scrupulously accurate information you can believe in. Our news gathering and reporting is trusted and read by officials, pro and con, in the wildlife community who know we're an important leader in this area. We often provide news that's difficult to find, and is always conveniently accessible from Living with Wolves.

Addressing questions, providing answers: Our question and answer format ads have run in Western newspapers, where local residents are flooded with misinformation and outright lies and unfounded nonsense. People who live in these areas still carefully read their local newspapers for community news they can't get elsewhere. They need to keep hearing the truth about wolves. Our ads are low-budget items, but extremely effective and, when copied, make great handouts as well.  

We are a small, no-nonsense professional staff, zeroed in on one critical issue: wolves. Our impressive Board of Directors and Advisory Board members have signed on with us and together we are dedicated to working toward common goals. As you can see from their biographies, people of this caliber could choose to serve anywhere. We are honored that they have chosen to join forces with Living with Wolves, knowing that we are effective and that together we can make a difference.

You will never find us party to a lawsuit. Although we work in partnership with other groups who handle litigation, we strongly believe that collaboration and advocacy are preferable to legal

confrontation. We won't send you address labels or membership cards, because we know you want your contribution to be directed to helping wolves, not sending you things you don't need. What we will do is send you important news about wolves, and continue working hard every day on your behalf. Every single dollar sent to Living with Wolves goes directly to programming, getting out the truth about wolves in the face of deadly deception and rampant misinformation.

The vicious and counterproductive treatment of wolves in the West is both dangerous and trendsetting. By undermining good science and gutting the Endangered Species Act, it has already impacted the protection of all American wildlife. Together, speaking out for wolves, we have the determination, the expertise, the ability, and the hands-on drive to make a difference. At Living with Wolves, we assure you that we will continue to provide the dedication and effectiveness that you've come to expect, and hard work where it's needed most. But our ability to reach the goals we have set depends a lot on you.

As all of us settle in by the fire on these chilly nights, and another  winter blows in, we remember the wolves in our nation's wild lands, knowing that they're enjoying the snow, playing with their packmates, living as they should, and unaware of deadly political decisions designed to kill them with leg-hold traps, snares and gunfire. The record-setting wolf hunting season continues, and the power to fight for the protection of the remaining lucky few is in your hands.

Standing up for wolves is not for the faint of heart. We are honored to have you beside us as we keep moving forward on this journey we started together.

On behalf of the entire staff of Living with Wolves,   

Jim Dutcher              Jamie Dutcher 

Founders, Living with Wolves  

P.S. A bloodthirsty trapping season in Idaho has just begun, making a long and violent season even worse for the most persecuted animal in the North America and their families, pack members that depend on each other. Each person on our staff is more than ready to provide the energy to meet this challenge, but we need your help to provide the financial resources to make it all possible. Much depends on the decision you make right now. Your personal courage and determination, as always, does make a difference.   

All of our data and statistics are carefully  

sourced and verified for accuracy.  

Thank you for your support!