Rachane & Arkte

Wild Wolves In Trouble !

Wild *Alert*

(see details below)

The Play Begins

This Is Great Fun!

10 February - A Companion For Arkte

We were again evaluating a male that was not very social and was in jeopardy of being euthanized. He had escaped his enclosure and been picked up by animal control. Brandy and Kiley left the Sanctuary early for the trip to pick him up. His name became Rachane.

01 March - Arkte and Rachane Introduced

Amended Special Review Application

26 February - Amended Special Review

     We finally were able to finish the application and get it submitted to the Larimer County Planning Department. It totals over 125 pages, including six 24” x 36” maps. As with our first Special Review application, it has taken hundreds of hours to assemble and this is just the first step.
      As many of our long-time supporters will remember, Wolf went through a Special Review with the Planning Department for Larimer County, which was finalized in January of 2001. Although we were granted the right to exist by the Larimer County Commissioners, there were some fairly restrictive conditions which were placed on the Sanctuary. Some of those included:

- Wolf could only use 5 of the 182 acres owned by the founders,
- Wolf could only have 30 animals at the Sanctuary, (although there were 42 at the time, Wolf was allowed to get down to 30 through natural attrition)
- Wolf could not have anyone besides volunteers visit,
- Wolf could only have 7 vehicle trips daily to the facility.

     Although these conditions seemed highly restrictive, Wolf has lived within those conditions for the last six years. There have been absolutely no transgressions on the part of Wolf and indeed there has been absolutely no complaints made by anyone about Wolf.
      Wolf has long believed that this track record was important to establishing the integrity of Wolf over a prolonged period, therefore relieving any concerns about expanding the scope of the Sanctuary in the future.
     Wolf believes the future is now. The application for the Amended Special Review was submitted on February 26th. Some of what Wolf is requesting be changed is:

- An increase in the number of acres for the Sanctuary to 30,
- An increase in the number of animals housed to 60,
- The ability to have non-volunteer visitors.

     The document is an extensive technical report with over 125 pages of data covering everything from waste disposal to hundred year flood plains, sound engineer analysis on sound density dynamics expected due to increasing numbers of animals, to maps covering soil composition, wildfire probabilities, and geologic features.
      The process of getting these conditions changed will be prolonged and intense. The next steps include:

- Planning Dept. concept technical review (to determine whether they need more technical data to formulate their recommendation to the planning commission),
- Neighborhood meeting (to inform neighbors about the request),
- Planning Commission public hearing (so they can make their recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners),
- Board of County Commissioners public hearing (so they can evaluate everyone’s input).

     We will definitely need your help at the public hearings and will get more information to you on when these will occur. We will need everyone we can get to attend those meetings. If you are unable to attend those meetings we will need your letters and emails in support of Wolf. We will get the names and addresses to you on where those letters should be sent.

05 January - DOW Proposes New Restrictions

     We received a phone call, from a board member, letting us know that DOW was holding a meeting on the 11th and were proposing new regulations, which would require all Nonprofit Wildlife Sanctuaries to post a closing bond. This would be based on the number of animals at the facility and be payable to the DOW if the facility needed to close down. This process was being pushed through without input from the Sanctuaries involved. Would we be able to attend this meeting?

11 January - DOW Meeting

     Although we were unable to attend the meeting, the Commission requested that the DOW get input from the stakeholders before moving forward.

02 March - DOW Meeting Revisited

     The rescheduled meeting for input from the nonprofit sanctuaries was held. Wolf did attend to express concerns for the focus being placed on sanctuaries rather than on the origin of the surplus of wild animals. If indeed they felt compelled to institute this regulation, it should be universally implemented for all licensees of wild animals. This should include breeders, research facilities, commercial parks and zoological organizations as well. Then when those organizations dispose of surplus animals, their bond should accompany the animals to the sanctuaries they are placed at.
      Although we are not real confident that our suggestions will be included into the final regulations, we are comfortable that we had our ideas heard. The DOW has been very vocal, in the past, about not wanting wildlife sanctuaries to exist.
     In 2003, they actually reinterpreted old regulations to ban any new sanctuaries from being licensed and therefore existing. It required a significant effort by Wolf and others to get a new bill introduced in the legislature to authorize their existence.
     Then in 2005, DOW established very strict regulations requiring any new sanctuary that wanted to be licensed to be AZA certified. This requirement virtually eliminates any new sanctuaries from receiving a license, as the AZA guidelines for certification requires many accommodations for public comfort and safety, even if they are not open to the public. These would include handicap access, restrooms, sidewalks, drinking fountains, etc. AZA primarily establishes standards for zoos and aquariums -- not sanctuaries.

Strong Showing for Wolves

     Our efforts to keep federal protections in place for Northern Rockies wolves got a big boost last week as several public hearings took place in key Western states.
     Defenders activists and other conservationists have already made a strong showing at meetings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Helena, Montana; even outnumbering wolf opponents in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Boise, Idaho. In fact, so many Defenders activists and other wolf supporters showed up to testify in Boise that officials extended the meeting by an hour! More meetings are scheduled this week in Spokane, Washington and Pendleton, Oregon.
     Defenders, along with our conservation partners, scored another small victory last week as the Fish & Wildlife Service extended the public comment period an additional 30 days to May 9th. Thanks to your efforts, the public will have more time to weigh in on this important issue.
     We’ll continue to do all we can to ensure that Northern Rockies wolves are protected -- and we’ll be sure to let you know what you can do to help along the way. Already, more than 34,000 of you have taken action to support our wolves. If you haven’t already, there's still time!
     Tell the Fish & Wildlife Service to keep critical protections in place for Northern Rockies wolves. Help us generate 200,000 comments -- one of our most ambitious goals -- by the May 9th deadline!

Your Words — Their Actions

     Wildlife activists in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana are critical in our fight to save our wolves there. But they commonly face hostile state governments, misinformation -- and at times -- even the threat of violence as they speak out to protect our wolves.
     That’s why I’m asking you to provide inspiration to the folks on the front lines in our battle to stop a wolf slaughter in the Northern Rockies.
     Do you have a personal story of why wolves are important to you? Have you ever seen a wild wolf in Yellowstone and wanted these special animals to be around for your children or grandchildren to see? Maybe you just want to offer some simple words of encouragement to those who need it.
     Now is the time to speak up. You have the power to inspire activists and supporters in the Northern Rockies to go the extra mile for our wolves -- even in the face of bitter opposition.
     Your stories will have an immediate impact on the ground. We’ll post them online and pass them along to our activists to let them know that they have your support. We’ll share your stories with key decision makers and the press to show that Americans care about our wolves -- and want to make sure they remain protected.
     Already, more than 40,000 of you have submitted public comments on the Bush/Cheney Administration’s plan to turn over wolf management to Idaho and Wyoming -- states that want to kill as many wolves as possible if the proposal goes through.
     We’re also going to need the continued help of our activists and supporters on the ground in the Northern Rockies. They’re attending public hearings, responding to misinformation and working with ranchers to find common sense solutions to reduce human/wolf conflicts.
     But they can’t do it alone. The debate is heated and often hostile for those working on the front lines to save our wolves -- and they need all the support they can get.
     These activists need to hear from you! Please post your story today and let the people working hard to protect our wolves know that you’re behind them.

Sincerely,
Rodger Schlickeisen
President, Defenders of Wildlife

This Is Great Fun!

Oppose Introduction of Elk Hunting in Rocky Mountain National Park 

     Colorado's U.S. Representative Mark Udall recently introduced a bill that would allow hunters to open fire on elk in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). While the National Park Service (NPS) is looking to reduce the elk population in RMNP, allowing private citizens to shoot animals in a national park would violate the mission of our national park system: to provide refuge for wildlife where people can enjoy the wonders of nature in peace and safety.
     Opening RMNP to hunting would also restrict non-consumptive visitors' use of the park when hunters are in the area. Areas of the park would have to be closed to hikers, campers and skiers, lest they find themselves in the lethal line of hunters' rifle fire. It would also set a dangerous precedent that could encourage hunting in other national parks.
      While Rep. Udall did not consult with RMNP officials before introducing his bill, many of them oppose opening the park to private hunters, and the NPS is considering alternative methods of maintaining a sustainable elk population. The park favors using their own staff to reduce the population in a controlled manner by shooting animals who are weak and sick, as well as breeding females (at least until the use of  birth control methods can be modified to be cost-effective and administered without tranquilizing the elk). Park staff also favors bringing wolves in as natural predators, but the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has blocked the regional reintroduction of wolves.

- Please "Take Action" to let Rep. Udall know that you object to his proposal to allow elk hunting in Rocky Mountain National Park. Feel free to edit the sample letter to your liking, and to print it out for mailing. To have more impact, follow up with a phone call or letter to his office. Visit Rep. Udall's website to get mailing addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers for his offices in Colorado and Washington D.C., or to send him an email. 

- Also please "Take Action" to let RMNP director Vaughn Baker know that you oppose Rep. Udall's proposal to allow elk hunting in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Don't Use Alaska's State $$$ for Wolf Killing!

     Using helicopters to further the Alaska Board of Game's ill-founded wolf decimation program is not in Alaska's best interest.
      Please send an email letter to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin ASAP opposing this and any other wolf decimation program that does not meet widely accepted scientific standards. Emails can also be sent using this form.
     You may also call or fax your comments for Governor Sarah Palin to the following locations:

Points to consider along with 2 example letters:

- The Governor would be stepping forward for a small user group when the majority of voters, including hunters, have twice voted against this extreme form of management.

- This level of killing has never been justified by any widely accepted scientific standards.

- Hunting license fees pay for the privilege of taking a public resource for private benefit. Using that resource for to temporally benefit a minority of hunters is not justified under any definition of "greater good."

Example Letter #1

Dear Governor Sarah Palin,

I sincerely hope that you do not get another dime of state money behind the wolf control program. The money would probably be better spent buying a cow from one of our struggling farmers and giving it to the hunter who can prove that they need a moose to survive. If the majority of hunters were really convinced that this were a good program, they would be out there implementing it. What the poor results say to me is that all but a handful don't have the stomach or the incentive to get behind it. To get the state involved again would show that you are more interested in a handful of outspoken hunters than you are the majority of Alaskans that have voted too many times to stop aerial hunting of wolves.

Some will never accept that this practice should be stopped, but when the hunters themselves aren't willing to implement it, maybe there's something really wrong with the concept. I think the majority might want their moose, but not is if means gunning down! a wolf from a plane. I think the majority might be sportsmen. Times change and it's time to accept that this approach just isn't acceptable to today's Alaskan even the hunters.

YOUR NAME
YOUR CONTACT INFO

Example Letter #2

Governor Sarah Palin,

Please say NO to the Board of Game's request for the use of helicopters to kill more wolves this winter. As I'm sure you're aware, a large percentage of Alaskans oppose the state's ever-expanding predator-control program, which most independent scientists say should be used only in specific circumstances and locales and only when there's clear evidence that such predator killing is absolutely necessary to protect ungulate populations. The scientific evidence in many areas where wolf (and bear) control is now being done remains inconclusive; in fact an array of scientists outside the Department of Fish and Game say the broad-based program is in fact not justified by what's known. Given all this, I would argue that it's a poor use of state funds to (which Division of Wildlife Conservation director Matt Robus has estimated at $200,000 to $300,000) to pay for a helicopter program, particularly when that money will cut into other wildlife! e-management programs, as Robus has noted. This short-sighted action would only increase the intensity of opposition to the state's already highly controversial predator-control program and would likely harm, not help, the state's wildlife-management program in the long run.

Thanks for considering these comments,

YOUR NAME
YOUR CONTACT INFO

Please forward this e-mail to those you know who might be interested.

Thank you for caring about Alaska's wildlife,

John Toppenberg
Director