America’s wolves do not have an easy life. After many an attempt at removing protection from these animals, yet another attack is being played on wolves. Congress is considering three separate bills aimed at removing federal protection from wolves in the western Great Lakes states – and none of them can be taken lightly, as any of the bills becoming law would have tragic consequences and mean death for thousands of wolves. With no protection, wolves simply will be killed by hunters and trappers – legally and with no consequences for the killers.
The bills that Congress will be considering are:
S.154. A bill named “HELP for Wildlife Act” – which starts to sound ironic once we learn that the bill would strip federal protection from Great Lakes wolves and block the courts from reviewing the move.
H.R. 242. This “Gray Wolf State Management Act of 2017” would remove federal protection from Great Lakes wolves as well.
2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill. A budget bill funding many government agencies, including the Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2018 budget bill contains two provisions aimed against wolves: one would block funding for protections for all wolves in all the lower 48 states, while the other would strip protections from wolves in the Great Lakes region.
This huge blow to the species cannot become reality. The Center for Biological Diversity has started a petition to Congress in hopes of straightforwardly showing our outrage at the plans to make killing wolves and injuring the ecosystem easier. “These continuous attacks on our country’s endangered wolves are shameful, cruel and unacceptable,” states the petition.
The attempts at revoking America’s wolves protection are completely groundless. The reason for introducing the bills seem to be nothing but an attempt at scaremongering that would make life easier for wolf trophy hunters … instead of focusing on protecting these important apex predators. The “War on Wolves” does not stop and, unfortunately, it also does not seem like it is going to anytime soon – but, without a doubt, it is high time for the targeting of wolves in America to stop, especially since wolves are a key element in the ecosystem that helps keep other species in check.
Click here to sign the petition to the U.S. Congress to protect America’s wolves!
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