November, 03 2009, 02:42pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
David G. Graves, National Parks Conservation Association, 206.910.1570
Lindsay Bartsh, National Parks Conservation Association, 650.269.2911
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wolf Plan Sets Target Number of Wolves Too Low
Statement by NPCA Northwest Field Representative David G. Graves
WASHINGTON
"As the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife receives
comments at a public hearing tonight in Seattle on the state's wolf
conservation and management plan, the National Parks Conservation
Association urges the agency to consider aiming for more than 15
breeding pairs, which is currently favored in the plan, in order to
ensure the viability and recovery of this state-endangered species.
"NPCA also recommends that the plan include translocation of wolves
to the Olympic Peninsula, which offers superb habitat and the low
possibility of wolf and human conflict. Scientists believe the return
of the gray wolf to the peninsula will lead to cleaner water and
healthier ungulate populations.
"Restoring critical predator-prey relationships will greatly enhance
the state's ecosystem and increase tourism dollars for local economies.
A study from the University of Montana found that Yellowstone's gateway
communities have received more than $35 million a year from
wolf-related tourism. Similar tourism related businesses might be
possible in Washington State.
"NPCA looks forward to continuing our work with the state on the effort to bring a sustainable wolf population to Washington."
###
More information: https://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=oct0609a
NPCA is a non-profit, private organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the U.S. National Park System.
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Dec 11, 2024
Despite the Pentagon's repeated failures to pass audits and various alarming policies, 81 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with 200 Republicans on Wednesday to advance a $883.7 billion annual defense package.
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, unveiled by congressional negotiators this past Saturday, still needs approval from the Senate, which is expected to vote next week. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that he plans to vote no and spoke out against the military-industrial complex.
The push to pass the NDAA comes as this congressional session winds down and after the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced last month that it had failed yet another audit—which several lawmakers highlighted after the Wednesday vote.
Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
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Several of the 124 House Democrats who voted against the NDAA cited those "culture war" policies, in addition to concerns about how the Pentagon spends massive amounts of money that could go toward improving lives across the country.
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