FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: February 8, 2016

Contacts:

Melanie Gade: mgade@defenders.org; 202-772-0288

Suzanne Stone: sstone@defenders.org; 208-861-4655

Officials persist in killing wolves in Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest 

 

 

WASHINGTON – Defenders is demanding an immediate and indefinite stop to Wildlife Services’ killing of wolves and other top predators in national forests in Idaho to inflate game populations.  

 

 

 

 

In response to confirmation that Idaho officials are working with Wildlife Services on an aerial gunning operation to kill wolves in the Clearwater National Forest, Defenders is submitting a  petition to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Vilsack. Defenders is requesting Vilsack issue a Secretarial Order prohibiting Wildlife Services from controlling native predators to increase game populations and demanding that the Forest Service, responsible for safeguarding America’s national forests, exercise its jurisdiction to prevent wolf killing. 

 

 

Suzanne Stone, Defenders of Wildlife Northwest Representative, issued the following statement:

 

 

“Killing wolves in the Lolo District of the Clearwater National Forest is a decision based almost entirely on Idaho’s extreme anti-wolf politics and not sound science. Aerial gunning of wolves is an expensive waste of precious taxpayer dollars.

 

 

“Killing wolves isn’t going to bring back the elk, and it doesn’t address the real issues causing the decline. Scientists point to a significant change in habitat conditions in the Clearwater National Forest – due to invasive species and fire suppression -- causing elk populations to drop naturally. Killing wolves is simply a scapegoat for these much bigger issues.” 

 

 

###

 

 

Get the latest Defenders news on Twitter @defendersnews.

 

 

Past press statements are available in our newsroom and be sure to visit our multimedia library andreporter resources pages for more info, including free-use photos.

 

 

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 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 

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

News

black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Roaming mountain goat
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
Visit the newsroom