Defenders' Experts
Pacific West Wolves
Gray wolves were once widely distributed throughout the Pacific West, but were eradicated by the early 1900s. Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has no current plans to restore wolves to this region, scientific research has identified vast areas of suitable wolf habitat in California, Oregon, and Washington. Defenders is a leading voice for restoring wolves to their natural place on the Pacific West landscape.
Grassroots Campaign Demonstrates Massive Support for Wolf Restoration in Washington State
January 20, 2010 -- The State of Washington has issued a response to Defenders of Wildlife's national grassroots mobilization to restore wolves to the Emerald State. Read the state's letter. Defenders activists and our partners:
- Generated more than 77,000 messages in support of wolf restoration to Washington’s Governor, Christine Gregoire, from activists across America and around the world, demonstrating the potential value in tourist dollars for Washington from wolf restoration.
- Submitted more than 2,000 formal comments from Washington state residents in support of increased wolf numbers in the state and expanding wolf restoration to include the Cascades and Olympic National Park; and
- Secured 367 RSVPs from Washington residents to attend in-person meetings around the state to support wolf restoration
Defenders will keep fighting in the months ahead to restore these magnificent animals to their historic range in Washington.
Gray Wolf Returns to Oregon
On January 24, 2008, the La Grande Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that a female gray wolf from the Boise, Idaho area is now making her home in northeastern Oregon.
Defenders' press release
USFWS Press Release
See the wolf!
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife video footage of the female gray wolf in Oregon.
In the Field
Bringing wolves back to the Pacific West will require careful planning. Defenders is building support for science-based wolf recovery by working with government agencies, scientists, conservationists, and the public.
Management and Policy
If wolves are to reclaim wolf habitat in the Pacific West, they need to be able to get there safely and to survive once they arrive. Defenders is urging the FWS to continue legal protections for wolves that may disperse into this region from neighboring populations in the U.S. and Canada.
|
|
