On Friday, December 12, 1997, U.S. District Judge William Downes, announced his decision on a combination of lawsuits brought three years ago by the American Farm Bureau, a ranching couple from Wyoming and the Earth Justice Defense Fund representing the National Audubon Society. To our complete shock, Judge Downes ruled that the wolf recovery program is illegal and ordered the removal of Canadian wolves reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. He did, however, stay his order pending appeal by the Interior Department.

         The Farm Bureau is expected to push hard for an immediate rejection of the appeal. If they are awarded this rejection, Ed Bangs, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project Leader of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, has announced the Service may be forced to kill the reintroduced wolves - and their pups - currently over 150 wolves. If this tragedy is allowed to occur, only 1 - 3
known wolves would be protected in Idaho and none in Yellowstone.

         * This Judge's decision was based on legal technicalities that do not affect the real safety or protection of the wolves. Montana wolves, who have full legal protection under the ESA, have been legally killed at a higher rate than in the Idaho experimental area.

         * Biologically, the wolf reintroduction program has been extremely successful. There are currently 12 to 14 pairs of wolves in Idaho going into January breeding season. Six of these pair produced six litters (30 - 32 pups) in 1997. In Yellowstone, 9 packs produced 64 pups in 1997. Of this total, only 1 - 3 are likely naturally occurring wolves, the other 150 plus wolves are in danger of being killed.

         * As the groups that support wolf recovery were announcing that they would appeal Judge Downes decision, Larry Bourret, Executive Vice President of the Wyoming Farm Bureau said the Farm Bureau would be in the U.S. Court of Appeals defending it.

         In an effort to halt this disaster, we are calling for the American public to rally to this cause. If you are a wolf-supporter and wish to see the reintroduced wolves in central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park stay with their families, safe
and unharmed, there are some facts that you should be made aware of:

         The American Farm Bureau, one of the largest insurance companies in this hemisphere, has stated that it has approximately 5 million members. What you might not know, is that you may be one of them.

         The American Farm Bureau represents the interests of farmers and ranchers. They are an umbrella of sorts for thousands upon thousands of smaller insurance companies who insure cars, homes, RV's, motorcycles, annuities, life insurance, homeowners policies, etc. If it can be insured, the American Farm Bureau probably has their fingers in it.

         I have spoken to yellow stone and am in the process of adding more information to the page such as email addresses so forth....

         At my site right now i ahve where you can send your comments to usa news that I have been fowarding  for people will also have other addresses for new papers magaizines later on today .....

         This is my url:
     http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5993/wolfs2.htm
 

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