Protect Yellowstone Wolves & Grizzly Bears from Hunting and Trapping!
The Issue
About the Petition
In the 1990s, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and the U.S. Northern Rockies by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to replace those that were killed off decades before by hunting, trapping, and poisoning. However, responsibility for wolves has recently been turned over to state game agencies. They quickly opened wolf hunting and trapping seasons near the park. As a result, many park wolves have been killed, and wolf families have been destroyed or severely disrupted.
Like the wolf, grizzly bears were historically driven to near extinction in the U.S. (outside of Alaska). Beginning in the 1980s, a major effort was made to rebuild the small surviving population of Yellowstone grizzlies. Now, despite much scientific and public controversy, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service seeks to turn the grizzly bear over to state management. This would mean “sport” hunting of grizzly bears as well as wolves.
Trophy killing of wolves and grizzly bears benefits a mere handful of hunters and outfitters operating near Yellowstone’s national parks. The practice is grossly unfair to many millions of park visitors from the U.S. and around the world that go to Yellowstone wanting to see and enjoy these magnificent animals in their natural environment (1).
People cherish individual park wolves and grizzly bears, and many visit the park repeatedly to see them and their families. Others follow the lives of these amazing animals through social media. Research shows that nearby wolf hunting can reduce wolf viewing in the park (2).
It is simply wrong to allow hunting of park wolves and bears that have grown accustomed to the presence of admiring park visitors, and have come to trust us as a harmless, ordinary part of their Yellowstone home.
It is also senseless from an economic standpoint to allow hunting of these popular park animals: Visitor spending due to wolf and grizzly presence in Yellowstone Park amounts to tens of millions of dollars each year that benefit surrounding communities and businesses.
Please sign our petition. It calls upon top officials in both federal and state governments to work to create a no-hunting and no-trapping buffer zone for wolves and grizzly bears around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Achieving such protection would be an historic milestone for national park conservation!
Thank you for speaking out on behalf of your national park wolves and bears!
Campaign for Yellowstone's Wolves & Bears
References:
1 “Compassionate Conservation for Yellowstone’s Wolves” by Tony Povilitis, Natural Areas Journal. July 2016.
2 “Implications of harvest on the boundaries of protected areas for large carnivore viewing opportunities” by Bridget Borg and others PLoS ONE 11(4) online.
The Petition
To the U.S. Secretary of the Interior; the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; Officials of the U.S. Forest Service; Officials of the National Park Service; the Governors of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and their respective state Wildlife Commissioners.
We are outraged that gray wolves of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks can be trophy hunted and trapped when crossing park boundaries in search of food or a mate. Likewise, we are appalled that park grizzly bears may soon suffer the same fate.
We ask that you work to create a no-hunting and no-trapping buffer zone for wolves and grizzly bears around the national parks in order to protect these cherished animals.
Park wolves and grizzly bears are both a national treasure and world-class feature of Yellowstone’s parks, drawing millions of tourists each year with great economic benefits to surrounding areas.
There is much more to wildlife management than simply sustaining populations and “harvests” of game. People place great value on individual park wolves and grizzly bears and their families, and countless go to the park repeatedly to see them or follow their lives in the media.
Ethically, it is simply wrong to allow trophy hunting of park wolves and bears that have grown accustomed to the presence of admiring park visitors, and have come to trust us as a harmless, ordinary part of their Yellowstone home.
Please act in the greater public interest. A positive response from you to this petition will encourage us to continue visiting the Yellowstone area and eagerly support its tourist industry and local communities.
Thank you.
/signed/
The Issue
About the Petition
In the 1990s, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and the U.S. Northern Rockies by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to replace those that were killed off decades before by hunting, trapping, and poisoning. However, responsibility for wolves has recently been turned over to state game agencies. They quickly opened wolf hunting and trapping seasons near the park. As a result, many park wolves have been killed, and wolf families have been destroyed or severely disrupted.
Like the wolf, grizzly bears were historically driven to near extinction in the U.S. (outside of Alaska). Beginning in the 1980s, a major effort was made to rebuild the small surviving population of Yellowstone grizzlies. Now, despite much scientific and public controversy, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service seeks to turn the grizzly bear over to state management. This would mean “sport” hunting of grizzly bears as well as wolves.
Trophy killing of wolves and grizzly bears benefits a mere handful of hunters and outfitters operating near Yellowstone’s national parks. The practice is grossly unfair to many millions of park visitors from the U.S. and around the world that go to Yellowstone wanting to see and enjoy these magnificent animals in their natural environment (1).
People cherish individual park wolves and grizzly bears, and many visit the park repeatedly to see them and their families. Others follow the lives of these amazing animals through social media. Research shows that nearby wolf hunting can reduce wolf viewing in the park (2).
It is simply wrong to allow hunting of park wolves and bears that have grown accustomed to the presence of admiring park visitors, and have come to trust us as a harmless, ordinary part of their Yellowstone home.
It is also senseless from an economic standpoint to allow hunting of these popular park animals: Visitor spending due to wolf and grizzly presence in Yellowstone Park amounts to tens of millions of dollars each year that benefit surrounding communities and businesses.
Please sign our petition. It calls upon top officials in both federal and state governments to work to create a no-hunting and no-trapping buffer zone for wolves and grizzly bears around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Achieving such protection would be an historic milestone for national park conservation!
Thank you for speaking out on behalf of your national park wolves and bears!
Campaign for Yellowstone's Wolves & Bears
References:
1 “Compassionate Conservation for Yellowstone’s Wolves” by Tony Povilitis, Natural Areas Journal. July 2016.
2 “Implications of harvest on the boundaries of protected areas for large carnivore viewing opportunities” by Bridget Borg and others PLoS ONE 11(4) online.
The Petition
To the U.S. Secretary of the Interior; the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; Officials of the U.S. Forest Service; Officials of the National Park Service; the Governors of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and their respective state Wildlife Commissioners.
We are outraged that gray wolves of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks can be trophy hunted and trapped when crossing park boundaries in search of food or a mate. Likewise, we are appalled that park grizzly bears may soon suffer the same fate.
We ask that you work to create a no-hunting and no-trapping buffer zone for wolves and grizzly bears around the national parks in order to protect these cherished animals.
Park wolves and grizzly bears are both a national treasure and world-class feature of Yellowstone’s parks, drawing millions of tourists each year with great economic benefits to surrounding areas.
There is much more to wildlife management than simply sustaining populations and “harvests” of game. People place great value on individual park wolves and grizzly bears and their families, and countless go to the park repeatedly to see them or follow their lives in the media.
Ethically, it is simply wrong to allow trophy hunting of park wolves and bears that have grown accustomed to the presence of admiring park visitors, and have come to trust us as a harmless, ordinary part of their Yellowstone home.
Please act in the greater public interest. A positive response from you to this petition will encourage us to continue visiting the Yellowstone area and eagerly support its tourist industry and local communities.
Thank you.
/signed/
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
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Petition created on May 19, 2016