A small and very vocal group of anti-wolf folks claim that red wolves have caused a wildlife disaster in eastern North Carolina. This single trail camera in NC’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge tells a different story.
The red wolf is an American icon that makes our country’s wild lands whole and healthy. It’s one of the few large carnivore species endemic to the United States. Hunting, trapping, and habitat loss caused the initial extinction of red wolves in the wild. Today the world’s most endangered wolf is facing extinction for a second time, but at the hands of politicians.
Although fewer than 30 red wolves remain in the wild, last week Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) introduced H.R.6119 – a bill that seeks to “remove the red wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife for North Carolina, and for other purposes.”
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to follow the best available science, not politics, in recovery planning and implementation for an endangered species. Thus this anti-wolf proposal blatantly ignores this federal mandate and thus undermines the integrity of our nation’s most significant environmental law.
There is a perceived notion that red wolf recovery is a local or regional issue for the residents of North Carolina. However, endangered species recovery is a matter of pride and concern for all U.S. citizens and taxpayers.
How you can help.
The proposed bill has been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources – please take action today to ensure the bill never makes it out of the committee.
Use the form here to urge the House Committee on Natural Resources to let bill H.R.6119 die in committee.