Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up

Making Monuments Can Protect the California Desert! The California desert is home to some of America’s most unique and imperiled wildlife, as well as many significant historic and cultural sites. Bighorn sheep and threatened desert tortoise are a few of the incredible species that call this region home. Thankfully, Senator Feinstein (D-CA) has called on President Obama to conserve the California desert through the creation of three national monuments – Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains. And, this coming Tuesday, October 13th top Department of Interior and Agriculture officials will travel to southern California for a public listening session to discuss Senator Feinstein’s proposal for President Obama to protect these proposed national monuments under the Antiquities Act. If Obama acts on the Senator’s proposal, it would create the largest land-based national monument of his presidency and would be among his boldest conservation moves.

What will be the fate of gray wolves in Oregon? Today the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meets to evaluate what level of protection is warranted as wolves continue to recover in the state. We cautioned the commission that moving too quickly to eliminate state endangered species act protections could reverse the positive trends underway in wolf restoration and recolonization. Oregon has been one of the most progressive states for wolf recovery, showing that wolves and livestock can coexist in harmony when managed properly and when stakeholders are involved. For wolves to continue to successfully recover in Oregon, it is important that some essential protections remain in place. If the commission makes any changes at all, we have urged them to consider only downlisting the species from endangered to threatened. This would enable wolves to continue to receive the vital state protections they need, while acknowledging that wolf numbers in eastern Oregon have improved through a model of cooperation, conservation, and coexistence. If you are an Oregon resident and wish to comment, please send an email before November 9, 2015 to odfw.commission@state.or.us.

SOLD OUT! Orca-Salmon Event a success in Seattle: This week, Defenders of Wildlife, as part of the newly formed Orca Salmon Alliance, presented Intertwined Fates: The Orca and Salmon Connection in the Northwest to a sold out audience at the Seattle Aquarium. Dr. Carl Safina spoke about his new book Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel. He received a standing ovation and was joined by orca and salmon experts during a question and answer session following his presentation. Questions were many and ranged from why the southern residents focus on Chinook salmon to the impacts of hydro-electric dams on salmon populations. The energy was palpable! Audience members were asked to tell the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that orca need more attention from the State. If you are a Washington resident and would like to comment, please send an email before October 31st, 2015 to http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildfuture/!