Breaking News!!!!!!!!! Defenders of Wildlife has just released that the state of Oregon has stripped our Wolves from all protection. They are now open game, for all hunters, this can lead to a complete disaster for all Wolves in the state of Oregon. The wolf population has not recovered sufficiently to deem this decision by the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission. Never has this happen, and it can lead to a bloodbath for our Wolves.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2015

Conservationists Criticize Precedent Setting State Wolf Delisting

SALEM, Ore. – Defenders of Wildlife says the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission’s decision today to remove state endangered species protections for wolves is premature and would likely lead to slowed or stopped wolf recovery in the state. No other species has been removed from the state’s endangered species list with a population of fewer than 100 individuals statewide or when they were still absent from a significant portion of their historic range.

Shawn Cantrell, Defenders of Wildlife’s northwest director, testified at today’s meeting and issued the following statement:

"We are deeply disappointed to see the Fish and Wildlife Commission approve a state delisting of wolves when only the barest minimum requirements have been met. The better and more cautious alternative would have been to downlist wolves from endangered to threatened and not delist them entirely. This would have continued to provide vital state protections for wolves, while also recognizing the progress the state has made to recover wolves in the eastern part of the state. More importantly, it would have left wolves fully protected in the western part of Oregon, where they are only just starting to expand and are in the earliest stages of recovery.

"Unfortunately, the commission decided to prematurely delist wolves without first updating and amending the Oregon Wolf Management Plan, which is overdue for a planned update. It will be critical that any subsequent revision of the plan maintains protocols for using non-lethal conflict avoidance tools, like livestock guarding dogs or fencing, to reduce potential livestock-wolf conflicts.

"Oregon recently has been a real leader emphasizing non-lethal conflict management between livestock and wolves so that wolves can continue their recovery in the state. Given the commission’s decision on delisting today, it will be all the more critical for Oregon to continue to emphasize and promote non-lethal strategies for allowing wolves and livestock to coexist on the same landscapes.

"Defenders has recently expanded its staffing presence in Oregon and intends to continue to work tirelessly for wolf conservation in the state through whatever means or opportunities that are available."

Please take the time to sign petitions when they are available and stand with Defenders of Wildlife and all the major organizations, who stand with the Wolves.  The Department of Fish and Wildlife from each state are there to protect and save endangered species. It is time that our VOICE IS HEARD. Whether in Florida, when the Department of Fish and Wildlife put a death sentence on the Black Bears, and 300 were murdered including cubs in just 2 days.  They then realized it caused a frenzy of killings, they are now we hope willing to work with organizations to set sanctuaries for these bears, and help them recover.   We now need to set precedence for our Wolf Population, lets speak loud and clear, and bring them back into protection.  Both the Bear and the Wolf are part of our heritage, for myself they are part of the Native American life for generations.  They are Aumakua's or spirit guardians,like in Hawaii, that protect and save.  We as a people need now to protect and save them from extinction. 

 IT IS UP TO US !!!!!!!!!!secure.defenders.org