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  • Letter To Secretary Bernhardt On Wolf Delisting

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    Senator Cory Booker
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    Senators Booker and Whitehouse led a letter to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt expressing opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to end federal protections for gray wolves under the ESA.

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    Letter to Secretary Bernhardt on Wolf Delisting

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    Senators Booker and Whitehouse led a letter to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt expressing opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to end federal protections for gray wolves under the ESA.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    2K views3 pages

    Letter To Secretary Bernhardt On Wolf Delisting

    Uploaded by

    Senator Cory Booker
    Senators Booker and Whitehouse led a letter to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt expressing opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to end federal protections for gray wolves under the ESA.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    Wnited States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 July 8, 2019 The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary USS. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bemhardt: We are writing to express our concems with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal to end federal protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Ata time when scientists indicate that up to 1 million plant and animal species face extinction due to human. activity, we are alarmed that the Trump Administration is seeking to remove vital protections for this vulnerable species. The delisting proposal appears to be motivated primarily by political pressure rather than rooted in the best available science, and would set a dangerous precedent for hundreds of other endangered species nationwide. As such, we urge you to withdraw the proposed rule. ‘Thanks to the ESA, wolves have now started to recover in the continental United States after being brought to the brink of extinction, However, wolf populations are still struggling to rebound in many areas of suitable habitat, and are missing entirely from the vast majority of their former range. Scientists estimate there were once hundreds of thousands of wolves in the lower 48 states, but today there are only a tiny fraction of that number. In particular, wolves have only just begun to return to portions of the Pacific Northwest and California, and the need for federal protection remains eritical if this species is to truly recover. Within their habitat, wolves play an essential role in maintaining a balanced and resilient ecosystem. The progress made toward wolf recovery in the western Great Lakes and northem Rocky Mountains has been a boon for the ecosystems of these areas, which have benefitted from the return of this keystone predator. Studies in Yellowstone National Park found that the presence of wolves benefit a myriad of species including pronghorn antelope, songbirds, beavers, and fish. While there is much to be proud of, there remains considerable progress to be made towards wolf recovery in the lower 48 states. We are concerned that returning the wolves wholly to state management at this time could stall or even reverse that progress as federal protections ate still essential to help wolves return to suitable habitat in their historic range. Humans pose a far greater threat to wolves than wolves pose to us. Moreover, U.S. Department of Agriculture reports show that the primary causes of cattle and sheep deaths in the U.S. are health problems, weather, theft, and illness—not wolves or other native carnivores. In fact, a 2014 and 2015 inventory of cattle and sheep found that less than one percent (0.4 percent) died from any type of carnivore, including coyotes, domestic dogs, and cougars. There are also a host of highly effective non-lethal solutions that livestock owners can use to protect their herds. Gray wolf recovery in the lower 48 states is a wildlife success story in the making, and we encourage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue to work towards recovery of this iconic American species. Specifically, we urge the Service to continue to protect gray wolves under the ESA. Sincerely, . Cory A. Booker Idon Whitehouse United States Senator United States Senator Z Peters - Richard Blumenthal Ap United States Senator United States Senator Silber. Keto, Ab throm Tom Udall Kirsten Gillibrand United States Senator United States Senator ‘ LA forte Bernard Sanders Kai ‘D. Harris United States Senator United States Senator Kista Sgn Dianne Feinstein Patrick Leahy United States Senator United States Senator Edward * d United States Senator United States Senator Robert Menendez United States Senator ited S snator Unifed States Senator United States Senator Mp Catherine Col io United States Senator

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