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Emergency Action to Protect Denali Wolves

This year, the chance for hundreds of thousands of visitors to see wolves in Alaska’s spectacular Denali National Park & Preserve fell to the lowest level on record – just 1%. This was caused, in part, by years of hunting and trapping allowed along the northeast boundary of the Park, which has dramatically disrupted the eastern Denali ecosystem. In 2010, before the State of Alaska eliminated a small no-kill buffer on state lands along the park boundary, wolf viewing success was 45%.

In Yellowstone, wolf viewing success averages 70%. Now in Denali, 1%. In response to this year’s drastic decline at Denali, Alaskans submitted an Emergency Petition to the Alaska Board of Game requesting that it again close state lands along the park boundary to wolf hunting and trapping before the scheduled Nov. 1 opening. While Alaska’s Fish & Game commissioner declined to act, the Board of Game has yet to respond.

Denali is America’s best known subarctic wilderness, and belongs to all Americans. If people want to help protect Denali wolves, take action to request that the Alaska Board of Game convene an emergency meeting before the scheduled Nov. 1 opening of wolf trapping, to objectively and fairly consider the Alaska citizens’ petition to close state lands along the park boundary to the killing of wolves.