In addition, they are devising new policies to undo vital species protections. And, leaders in Congress are seeking to rewrite wildlife laws to favor wealthy industry bosses.

The damage is already being done to wildlife and the people who work to protect them. We’ve heard stories of endangered species recovery efforts being stalled and outright stopped. When species are on the brink, delay often means doom.

But our community has power if we speak with one voice. Now is the time for collective action to turn up the heat. Congress needs to be the check on executive power that they’re supposed to be.

What can we do?

1. Pressure Members of Congress with emails, calls, on social media, and asking questions at town halls or other events.

Send an email to your Representative and Senators

Tweet to your Representative and Senators

Script to Call Your Representative

Hello. My name is [YOUR NAME], and I live in [TOWN, STATE]. I am a constituent.

I urge the Representative to support the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act and reject actions to dismantle and rewrite these laws.

Thank you.

2. Get ready to organize by watching Activist Training Lab videos on YouTube.

3. Make in-person connections with other wildlife advocates and take action together. Need a starting point? Check out our coalition member organizations.

Learn More about What’s Happening

A ‘recipe for extinction’: can the US’s envied nature protections survive Trump and his ‘God squad’? (The Guardian). A slew of early actions by the Trump administration has set about throwing open more land and waters for the fossil fuel industry, triggering the reversal of regulations that strengthen the Endangered Species Act.

Trump’s job cuts at this overlooked agency put every American at risk (Vox). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service terminated around 420 employees who were newly hired or recently promoted, amounting to about 5 percent of the agency’s workforce.

Leaked emails show the nation’s leading wildlife agency has halted critical funding for conservation (Vox). Several nonprofit organizations that receive funding from the Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed with Vox that they received stop-work orders.

The post Together We Have Power to Stop Trump and Congress from Gutting Protections for Endangered Species and Marine Mammals appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

Purchase a Grizzly 399 memorial shirt through FLOAT through the end of the year and $8 from your purchase will directly support our work to keep these majestic bears protected.

Grizzly 399, often referred to as the “Queen of the Tetons,” captivated the hearts of many who were fortunate enough to witness her majestic presence. She was not only one of the most photographed bears in North America but also a mother of extraordinary resilience. Born in the wilds of the Teton wilderness, 399’s journey was one of survival, motherhood, and the complex relationship between humans and wildlife.

She was born in 1996 and came to be the bear we know today in 2006, when she first rose to prominence as a young mother with her three cubs. She navigated the challenges of motherhood in a landscape that was both perilous and beautiful. Over the years, 399 became a familiar face in the Teton National Park and the surrounding areas, often seen with her cubs, teaching them the ways of the wild. Her ability to thrive in such a challenging environment became a testament to the strength and intelligence of the grizzly bear. Despite the dangers she faced, including human encounters and changing landscapes, Grizzly 399 remained an enduring figure.

Memorialize 399’s legacy and help to keep grizzly bears across the West protected under the Endangered Species Act with your shirt purchase through FLOAT. This is only available for a limited time and your purchase directly supports the Endangered Species Coalition’s work to keep bears protected.

Her legacy is not just one of survival but of connection. 399 fostered an incredible awareness about wildlife conservation, helping to foster a greater respect for the need to protect grizzly bears and their habitats. Her unique relationship with the public also highlighted the importance of responsible wildlife viewing, education, and conservation efforts.

While we will deeply miss Grizzly 399, her legacy lives on in the hearts of those who admired her, and in the ongoing conservation efforts that will ensure the protection of her kin and the Teton ecosystem.

Join us in honoring and celebrating Grizzly 399 with your shirt purchase through FLOAT this week. The proceeds from the sale of this shirt directly support the Endangered Species Coalition’s work to keep grizzly bears protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Thank you for your commitment to wildlife and wild places.

Sincerely,

Susan Holmes
Executive Director

The post Remembering Grizzly 399 – The Queen of the Tetons appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

Right now, outfitters and hunters are allowed to hunt these animals using packs of dogs with GPS collars and even drones that chase down a mountain lion until it finally retreats up into a tree. Once the outfitters and hunters catch up to the trapped and exhausted lion they shoot it out of the tree for a photo and a wall mount used as a decoration.

Learn about trophy hunting here: WARNING GRAPHIC!

Similarly bobcats are allowed to be trapped with live traps in freezing cold weather where eventually they are bludgeoned to death for their fur. These furs are often exported to China where markets exist. On top of that, it only costs about $35 to be able to capture and kill as many bobcats as a person wants to, it is unlimited!

Learn about trapping here: WARNING GRAPHIC!

Colorado voters have a record of ending barbaric and disrespectful practices through the ballot. Voters approved a very similar measure in 1992, Amendment 10, that banned the same brutal practice of using dogs to hunt bears. It also prohibited spring hunts and the use of bait to hunt bears. Back then that measure passed with 70% of the vote!

The Endangered Species Coalition supports Prop 127. We think its passage will treat our wildlife with the respect and value that is deserved.

Please visit Cats Aren’t Trophies, the organizers of Prop 127 for more information and make sure you vote on or before November 5th!

Thank You,

Ryan Sedgeley
Southern Rockies Representative
Endangered Species Coalition

The post COLORADO: Support Prop 127 appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

Tell your U.S. Representative that you support the Prohibit Wildlife Killing Contests Act and ask that they work to pass it into law.

These mass-slaughter events disrupt native species without any benefit–scientists have even found them to be counterproductive to their purported purpose of controlling species deemed unwanted by the participants. Coyotes specifically will increase their birthrate in response to this thrill killing.²

Beyond the biological and ecological mayhem that these events create, they are destructive to society. Wildlife is held in the public trust–for your, my, and everyone’s enjoyment and appreciation. Killing contests take from each of us and contribute nothing.

Ten states have already banned these killing contests, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

More than 16 members of the House of Representatives recently introduced a bill to block these events from the 500 million acres of public lands the federal government manages. This bill would enhance our public lands, make them safer for all users, and begin to restore science-based management. Please email your representative today and ask that they support this legislation.

Sincerely,

Susan Holmes
Executive Director
Endangered Species Coalition
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1. https://www.humanesociety.org/wildlifekillingcontests

2. https://www.projectcoyote.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PC_SAB_Coyote-Facts_FINAL_2020_08.pdf

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The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have announced the final environmental impact statement and grizzly bear reintroduction plan. The agencies’ decision to restore grizzlies to their historic homelands, where they are functionally extinct, is a huge victory for wildlife and the people who cherish our wild landscapes.  The decision is accompanied by a 10(j) rule that gives agencies flexibility under the Endangered Species Act to responsibly manage bears.

“We applaud the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for deciding to actively restore grizzly bears to North Cascades,” said Susan Holmes, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “As a keystone species, grizzly bears play an important role in the ecology of their habitat, and we are excited for their pending return to a place where they have long been absent.”

The North Cascades Ecosystem holds one of the most remote and rugged mountain ranges in the country and is one of only two grizzly bear recovery areas without an established population. The area is one of North America’s premier intact ecosystems and is optimal habitat for grizzlies. However, the last confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear was in 1996. Habitat fragmentation and the low numbers of grizzlies in nearby populations make it highly unlikely that grizzlies would naturally recover in this area.

“After years of advocacy the Upper Skagit Tribe looks forward to the day the great bear returns to the rugged North Cascades which our people previously shared with Grizzlies for thousands of years,” said Scott Schuyler, policy representative for the Upper Skagit Tribe, whose territory lies within the recovery zone. “We thank leaders at the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Department of Interior for their intention to restore a cultural icon in the North Cascades.”  

Now, bears from healthy source populations would be translocated into the North Cascades over several years until an initial population of 25 is reached. 

“The Snoqualmie Tribe is excited to hear this news, and to know that this hard-fought effort to bring home grizzlies is close to becoming a reality,” said Snoqualmie Indian Tribe Tribal Chairman Robert M. de los Angeles. “This is a critical moment in history, with governments, organizations, and individuals working together to welcome grizzlies back after human action removed them from their home. Snoqualmie thanks the leadership of our Congressional Leaders, the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Department of Interior for their persistent work and advocacy.”

For years, advocates in Washington state and beyond have weighed in supporting efforts to help the declining population of grizzlies and reintroduce bears to their historic habitat. A recent poll shows that 85% of Americans support grizzly restoration in the North Cascades. While 2023 public meetings did report some concern among Washington residents about living near grizzlies again, the 10(j) rule responds to those concerns.

“The agencies have shown that they are listening to local communities like ours by including necessary management flexibility for a successful reintroduction effort in the long run,” said Jasmine Minbashian, executive director of Methow Valley Citizens Council. “In eastern Washington, human-bear coexistence initiatives are already in progress. With the right resources focused on bear-smart infrastructure and education, rural communities can be a proud partner in the triumphant return of our majestic grizzly bears.”

A final Record of Decision will be signed following a legally-mandated 30-day waiting period. Find more information on the plan for North Cascades grizzly bear recovery from the Friends of the North Cascades Grizzly Bear Coalition at https://www.northcascadesgrizzly.org/

“I can’t think of better news to usher in the promise of Spring than this historic step toward restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades,” said Paula MacKay, carnivore conservation specialist with Woodland Park Zoo. “As we await the final Record of Decision, the zoo is poised to promote the long-term coexistence of thriving human communities and a healthy grizzly bear population.”

 “Today we celebrate our national parks as places where wildlife thrives and ecosystems are made whole,” said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association. “For years, NPCA has worked tirelessly to bring grizzlies back to their historic homeland. The return of the grizzly bear to North Cascades National Park is a symbol of the power of perseverance.”

“The grizzly bear is a critical part of the ecological and cultural fabric of the North Cascades. They belong here. Without them, our wild areas are diminished, less diverse and sanitized. The narrative about Cascades grizzly bear recovery will take decades to unfold. But with science, education and a little human tolerance, it can be one of the greatest conservation success stories of ours and future generations,” said Joe Scott, international program director for Conservation Northwest.   

The post In a Major Victory for Wildlife, Grizzly Bears May Soon Roam North Cascades Again appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

This year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is making progress on restoring grizzly bears to two ecosystems in the West, where grizzlies have long been absent: the North Cascades in north-central Washington, and the Bitterroots along the Montana-Idaho border. ESC has field staff working on the ground in both regions. 

In the Washington, the National Park Service is leading the planning process to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades National Park. Because this ecosystem is far removed—and therefore isolated—from its counterparts further east in Idaho and Montana, the capture and translocation of a handful of grizzly bears over a long period of time is necessary to reestablish a healthy, self-sustaining population here. ESC has been engaged in the public process around the North Cascades. We are supportive of efforts to reintroduce grizzly bears into this area, as well as efforts to educate residents and visitors on how to live and recreate in grizzly bear habitat in ways that minimize grizzly bear interactions with people and livestock.

Over in the Bitterroot Ecosystem, the FWS was recently ordered by a court to restart the long-stalled-out process of considering how to restore grizzly bears to the mountains of western Montana and north-central Idaho. Twenty years ago, the FWS developed and released a plan to reintroduce grizzlies here, but it was scrapped as a result of political meddling by the Bush Administration. Unlike in the North Cascades, however, during the past two decades a handful of grizzly bears have migrated naturally into the Bitterroots. Unfortunately, they haven’t remained, and we don’t know for sure if there are any grizzly bears currently living there, especially female bears necessary to grow a population. Now the FWS must reconsider whether or not to reintroduce grizzlies to the Bitterroots, or to allow a population to reestablish naturally. ESC is carefully considering the best approach to recovering grizzly bears in the Bitterroots. We aren’t sure that an aggressive reintroduction program in such a politically-charged region will be the best way forward for bears. Regardless of the path chosen by the FWS, the conservation of key wildlife corridors and the careful management of bear attractants (garbage, livestock, pet food, etc) around the edges of the recovery area will be critical to ensure successful recovery. 

Finally, the FWS is currently considering petitions from the states of Montana and Wyoming to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the growing bear populations around Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide. Recently-passed legislation and other policy changes in Montana for wolves, grizzly bears and large carnivores generally give us great pause when considering the ability or desire of Montana to continue to responsibly conserve grizzly bears without strong federal oversight. Furthermore, past attempts to delist grizzly bears have demonstrated a lack of willingness by the FWS to put strong sideboards into rules that would hold the states’ accountable for grizzly bear conservation post-delisting. Therefore, ESC opposes delisting of grizzly bear populations in these recovery areas at this time. As one of the slowest-reproducing mammals on the planet, grizzly bear populations will always be sensitive to mortality, and thus will require continuous, strong conservation measures. As such, any delisting rule or post-delisting regulatory framework MUST include robust and enforceable standards to ensure that grizzly bears thrive into the future. ESC will continue to push for such measures, if any when the USFWS proposes delisting, while advocating for increased landscape connectivity, as well as funding for wildlife crossing projects, attractant management, and other coexistence measures.

The post Grizzly Bear Recovery in the West: What’s on Tap in 2024 appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

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Have you ever seen a live golden toad? What about a Cryptic treehunter bird or a Chinese paddlefish? You probably never will. These animals all went extinct over the last five years. Without meaningful change, thousands more could follow as the list of endangered species grows longer each year. 

While it’s true that extinctions occur naturally, human-driven climate change has certainly sped things along. As such, everyone must do their part to protect and preserve what life is left on the planet. 

How Bad Is It?

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows more than 44,000 animals and 40,000 trees currently in danger of disappearing entirely off the Earth. From the skies to the seas, climate change is worsening conditions for these endangered species. 

The resulting loss of biodiversity will be catastrophic across every facet of life. If nature loss stays its current course, there could be several more pandemics like COVID-19 in the near future, among other dire repercussions.

7 Things You Can Do Now to Protect Endangered Species

Saving near-extinct species requires a collective effort. Here are seven ways you can contribute to this endeavor. 

1. Educate Yourself

The more you know about the natural environment and endangered species, the better you can determine the most impactful actions within your purview. You also get to identify larger, longer-term goals that align with your values to work toward. 

2. Visit a Wildlife Park

Everyone should go on safari at least once in their lifetime. The raw connection to nature and the breathtaking views will forever remind you of what you’re protecting. While Africa is home to the authentic safari, you can always start with any of the 567 national wildlife refuges across the U.S. 

3. Volunteer for Conservation Programs 

There’s no better way to support a cause than to donate your time to it. Chances are there are dozens of local or state programs dedicated to protecting endangered species. These organizations almost always need support and will welcome all the help they can get. Endangered Species Day is coming up on May 17th and is a great way to meet like minded advocates and organizations. Find events and information at endangeredspeciesday.org.

4. Promote Natural Processes 

If you can help it, let nature take its course. This means limiting actions that otherwise upset the ecological balance, such as using pesticides and other harmful synthetic chemicals. If you must rid your yard of pests, prioritize solutions that involve natural processes. For example, creating a bat habitat helps fight mosquitoes organically due to their predator-prey relationship. 

5. Transition to an Anti-Consumerist Lifestyle

Consumerism is destroying the planet, depleting natural resources and destabilizing wildlife habitats faster than ever. Many people are obsessed with buying things that generate more waste and emissions, further harming ecosystems. It’s a vicious, highly unsustainable chain with no good outcomes. 

To put things into perspective, humanity would need at least five new planets to support life if everyone lived like the average American consumer. Now’s the time to reexamine your lifestyle and how it impacts the world around you. Waste less and recycle more. If you must buy stuff, prioritize sustainable and responsibly sourced products. 

6. Drive Responsibly 

Vehicle collisions involving animals can hasten the rate at which certain species become endangered. Roadkill has wiped out up to 33% of beech martens, weasel-like animals native to North America, Europe and Central Asia. It’s also the leading cause of death for 28% of a studied population comprising 69 mammalian species. You could push back the extinction clock for many animals just by driving more carefully, especially around wildlife habitats. 

7. Don’t Be a Nuisance 

It’s great that you want to save endangered species, but acting sanctimonious about it will be counterintuitive. There are a lot of self-righteous movements that create divisions and stall the progress on global issues, such as environmental protection and climate change. 

For example, even though their cause is necessary, Just Stop Oil’s method puts them in the news for the wrong reasons, generating more ire than support. Remember, this is an all-hands-on-deck mission and the best way to do this is drive public interest. When enough people care about something, policymakers must comply. 

Do Your Part in Protecting Endangered Species

Rapidly declining populations need help now. Every deliberate action you take to assist endangered wildlife and plants counts. Commit to making a difference today and ensuring a healthy, sustainable planet for everything living.

The post What Everyone Can Do to Protect Endangered Species appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

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