FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 7, 2014

Contact: Melanie Gade, Defenders of Wildlife, mgade@defenders.org; 202-772-0288

WASHINGTON   – Panel members of the independent scientific peer review committee conducted by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara today told the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) that the science behind the proposal to strip federal protections for gray wolves across nearly all of the lower 48 states was not based on the best available.

The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“The peer reviewers have now said what we have been saying all along: The Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to strip protections for gray wolves in the U.S. is not based on the best available science. This should now make it clear to the Service that delisting the gray wolf is premature and shortsighted.

“During each step of this delisting process, serious scientific questions have been raised about the Service’s proposal.

“The Service should now withdraw their proposal and use the best available science to chart a sustainable recovery path for wolves in the U.S.” 

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.

 

 

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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