Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed removing the Gray Wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club have partnered in creating an official proposal to oppose the delisting, and wildlife and environmental organizations across the country have come together to oppose the delisting. A public comment period during which the public could voice their concerns and oppose the delisting, was also created.
There has been a tremendous amount of action opposing the delisting. The Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club have filed official reports detailing all the reasons the wolves should not be delisted, and here in Wisconsin our Sierra Club John Muir Chapter Wildlife Team hosted a webinar to increase awareness and educate people about the wolves in Wisconsin. Nationwide, there has been an astonishing amount of public support for this issue.
When the public comment period closed on July 15th, there were more than 1.8 million comments submitted, a record for one of the most comments submitted involving an endangered species! We want to thank everyone who showed their support to the Wisconsin Gray Wolves and helped to keep them protected. This unprecedented number of comments demonstrates that the decision to delist the wolves is entirely premature, and that it would be a mistake to take back their protection. This would not have been possible without the public’s help! Although the comment period has closed, if you wish to become more involved in the issue, or wildlife conservation, contact Katie Hogan at kathryn.hogan@sierraclub.org.
Written by Lydia Dean, Project Aide with the Sierra Club John Muir Chapter.