Congressional Attacks on Endangered Species, New ESC Film on Colorado Wolves, Honoring Pete McCloskey and Chalk Art Contest Winners and More – The Saving Species Newsletter – Summer 2024

At the Endangered Species Coalition, we love wolves. Sharing the same genetic background as the dogs we welcome into our families, wolves are intensely social, curious, and form deep family bonds. They are also keystone species with the power to heal damaged ecosystems like Yellowstone. After being almost entirely gone in the lower 48 states, wolves are returning. This month, we are celebrating new pups from the wolves recently reintroduced to Colorado. Today, over 6,500 gray wolves live in the West’s wild open spaces, filling the night with their howls.

But, at the same time, we are seeing an epidemic of cruelty and killing that threatens to reverse this wildlife comeback story – one of the most important successes in the history of conservation.

In Wyoming, the tragic torture and killing of a young female wolf have shined a spotlight on the state’s indiscriminate killing of wildlife. 85% of the state is a designated “predator zone.” That means wolves and other predators can be killed without a hunting license, using almost any method, including hounding, baiting, neck snares, leg-hold traps, M-44 cyanide bombs, and running over with a snowmobile.

In Wisconsin, a state-managed wolf hunt in 2021 took place during the breeding season, killing pregnant females and disrupting family packs when it was critical for pups to survive. More than 85% of the wolves who lost their lives in this hunt were killed by hunters using packs of dogs. Hunters and trappers killed 216 wolves in fewer than three days – 20% of the state’s population and far above the state-imposed quota of 119 wolves.

In Idaho and Montana, it is the 1800s all over again. State leaders have passed laws to allow hunters to use chokehold snares, night goggles, aerial gunning, all-terrain vehicles, bait stations, hounds, and even bounties in the pursuit of killing wolves. In 2022 and 2023, Idaho hunters and trappers killed more than 560 wolves. In Montana, during the same period, over 450 wolves were killed. The average lifespan of a wolf in the Northern Rockies outside of Yellowstone is only 2-3 years.  

In this month’s newsletter you will read more about our work to protect wolves including the premiere of the ESC film “Welcome Home,” in Colorado, and the launch of our National Wolf Recovery Campaign. With these new efforts we will ramping up our wolf work and advocating for new national and state policies to end wolf persecution and to promote recovery of wolves to wild ecosystems across the U.S.

We could not do this without your continued support. Thank you for helping us bring back the howl of the wolf and for keeping the world a little more wild!

Susan Holmes, Executive Director

Pete McCloskey – Endangered Species Champion and Environmental Giant

Susan Holmes – Executive Director

Pete McCloskey, a Republican member of Congress, co-author of the Endangered Species Act, longtime Endangered Species Coalition supporter, and member of our Advisory Board, passed away on May 8th at the age of 94.

A liberal Republican who represented an area south of San Francisco for fifteen years, Pete rose to national prominence in 1969 as an opponent of the Vietnam War. Bold and visionary, the following year, he co-authored the Endangered Species Act (Rep. Dingell was lead and Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Fish and Wildlife; Pete was the Ranking member) and co-founded Earth Day. During his time in Congress he was a champion for many strong environmental laws, including the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.  

But what I love most about Pete is that he made protecting the environment and endangered species a winning political issue. In his first race – a special primary against the childhood actor Shirley Temple Black – Pete won by mobilizing young voters in support of open space protection and the environment.

I first met Pete when he came out of retirement in 2006 to run a campaign to unseat Representative Richard Pombo, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. Pombo had pledged to weaken the ESA and we knew that if he returned to Congress wildlife protections were on the chopping block. Although Pete lost the primary challenge to Pombo, he succeeded in winning 32% of the vote on a conservation platform. He went on to endorse Representative Jerry McNerney, a Democrat, who then defeated Pombo. The Sierra Club recognized Pete in 2006 for his work to unseat Pombo with their highest honor for public officials, the Edgar Wayburn Award.

Pete McCloskey wrote for the 40th Anniversary of the ESA, “…I consider co-authorship of the Endangered Species Act as the greatest contribution I have made in my lifetime to the welfare of this nation.” Thank you Pete! Endangered species, from alligators to whooping cranes, and all of us are so grateful for your life and legacy!

ESC and Member Groups Take Wolf Protection Message to Capitol Hill

In June, the Endangered Species Coalition organized Capitol Hill meetings in Washington, DC, for wolf advocates to let their elected officials know about the epidemic of wolf cruelty taking place in the U.S.

We met with dozens of Members of Congress, including Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) pictured left, to educate them on the horrific treatment of wolves in the Northern Rockies where wolves are not protected under the Endangered Species Act. Several policymakers expressed interest in helping secure better treatment for wolves, such as stopping “wolf whacking” (running down wildlife with motorized vehicles like snowmobiles), securing greater protections for wolves on federal lands, and protecting predators like wolves with animal cruelty laws.

Susan Holmes speaks at wolf rally in Washington, DC

Joining the wolf advocates were Jonas Black and fellow bikers, the Hogs for Hope, who organized a ride for wolves from his hometown of Austin, TX, to Daniel, WY (the location of the recent wolf torture) and then onto Washington, DC.

ESC and member groups participated in a rally with the Wild Beauty Foundation on the lawn outside the Capitol building. Dozens of people joined from across the country to show their support for wolves.

Take action to protect wolves from cruelty.

Wolf Pups in Colorado and the Premiere of ESC’s film, “Welcome Home”!

Ryan Sedgeley – Southern Rockies Field Representative

Colorado has wolf pups! Our first wolf family, the “Copper Creek Pack,” is now established with the confirmation of pups being born to one of the reintroduced wolves from Oregon. For months, the momma wolf has been exhibiting all the right signs, including a den. We welcome our new bunch of Colorado-born wolf puppies, the next generation of wolves in Colorado.

Along with this happy development, we are excited to announce the completion of a new 20 minute film celebrating the success of Colorado wolf reintroduction efforts by award winning . Director Alan Lacy. Called “Welcome Home,” the film will premiere in Denver on Thursday, July, 18th at 6pm. To see the trailer and to attend the premiere, please visit our Welcome Home webpage. Stay tuned for details on how to view the film online. Read more…

Fundraising Match Campaign for Wolves LIVE NOW

Any donation made between now and the 31st of August to our wolf campaign will be matched. Wolves are facing multiple challenges and threats. The Administration recently declined to protect them in the Northern Rockies and a legislation from Lauren Boebert that would slash their protections nationwide passed the House of Representatives and could be voted on by the Senate as a part of funding legislation soon.

We are working with our member groups and allies to stop that legislation and to support legislative and regulatory solutions to prevent wolf-whacking (killing wolves with snowmobiles) and to shape future policy for wolf recovery nationwide.

Please make a matched gift today to help us reach our goal.

Congressional Attacks on the Endangered Species Act Increase Ahead of 2024 Election

Jewel Tomsula – Policy Advisor

The Endangered Species Coalition serves as an important resource for wildlife champions in Congress. We work to track legislative attacks, provide the most up to date information, coordinate on strategy to shore up opposition to attacks and activate public support for the ESA.

This Spring we worked closely with the Congressional ESA Caucus to request full funding for the Endangered Species Act. This year’s request was signed by 137 Members of Congress, an increase from previous years and a testament to the dedicated outreach of our advocates. This is the good news.

Unfortunately, leaders on the House Appropriations Committee continue to ignore the widespread support for the Act and for wildlife conservation, instead catering to industry interests. Rep. Simpson’s (R-ID) FY25 Department of Interior Funding bill slashes money for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and contains at least 15 anti-wildlife poison pill riders—the largest number of policy amendments that has ever been included in the base bill in the 50-year history of the Endangered Species Act. One of the poison pill amendments would delist the gray wolf across the continental United States, while others would block grizzly bear reintroduction, protections for wolverines, and stop improving the management of National Wildlife Refuges. Other funding bills include poison pill riders that would harm salmon recovery efforts in the Pacific Northwest and risk extinction of the North Atlantic right whale.

Attacks on the Endangered Species Act have also been proposed for other must-pass legislation – including the five-year Farm Bill and the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Ultimately, what passes into law will come down to negotiation among the leaders of the House, Senate and White House – and all signs indicate that these negotiations will happen after the November elections when new Congressional leadership will be determined. Take action to stop these harmful amendments.

Endangered Species Day Chalk Art Contest Engages Schools and People to Learn about At-Risk Wildlife

Tara Thornton – Director of Institutional Engagement

Art contests are one of the highlights of our annual Endangered Species Day celebration. We’ve been asked, why chalk art? We use chalk art because it’s a medium people of all ages and skill sets can relate to. It’s inexpensive and can be done anywhere- a school playground, a sidewalk, or a rooftop.

This year, on Endangered Species Day, we received 180 chalk art submissions from across the US and as far away as India through our social media channels.  

At ESC, we use art in our work on Endangered Species Day and throughout the year. We believe art can be a powerful tool for the many individuals who may not identify as traditional activists. Art provides an entry point into civic participation, and communicates a powerful story to the public. Engaging people in this way helps shift our culture toward a more profound respect for nature.

Schools and zoos across the country and even overseas have participated in our art competitions. This is our fourth year using chalk art to engage students and the public. Virginia Preparatory School had this to say about their participation: “We like celebrating the beauty of the endangered and threatened animals (or plants) and raising awareness of their plight in a fun and creative way. The impermanent nature of chalk art speaks to the threat of extinction these species face.”

And from Immaculate Heart Academy of NJ: “ The AP Bio students are in their final academic unit on Conservation Biology and Global Change and are excited to be featuring a threatened or endangered species of their choosing in their chalk art to… raise awareness for these organisms that are threatened with extinction.”

While all the works are amazing, we could only recognize a few…

Tiger, Nithya

Grand Prize Award went to Nithya for her Tiger. “I am an artist of Indian origin. The Bengal tiger is an iconic symbol of India and I have seen the decline of this species to around 2500 tigers. I felt that art has the power to inspire change and advocate for these magnificent species.”

Red Panda, Phoebe

With 309 “likes” on social media for her chalk art the People’s Choice Award went to Phoebe for her Red Panda. “I mostly did this for fun and to help spread awareness about the endangered species of animals. The red panda really speaks to me, and I love its beautiful design, so that’s why I drew it!”

To learn more go to: https://www.endangered.org/chalk-art-contest-winners-chosen/

Member Group Highlight – Wyoming Wildlife Advocates

Tara Thornton – Director of Institutional Engagement

This month, we are highlighting our member group, Wyoming Wildlife Advocate (WWA), for their leadership in fighting for endangered and keystone species. WWA is advocating for permanent grizzly protection, ethical, science-based elk management, and returning wolves to their rightful place in Wyoming’s ecosystem. They work to inform, educate, and empower communities across Wyoming to protect wildlife and modernize wildlife management.

WWA’s work on wolves came to a head when a yearling female wolf was cruelly tortured and killed in late February. Run down by a Daniel, Wyoming, resident on his snowmobile. Her mouth was taped shut, and she was paraded around a local bar for hours before finally being shot.

Local and state laws allow this behavior. Wolves are considered predators in 85% of the state, and it is legal to kill them on sight, year-round, without a license, using any method. Wyoming Wildlife Advocates is working to change these laws. They are working with state legislators, who have formed a stakeholder committee to review the treatment of “predatory” animals. We’re hopeful that significant changes for wolves and other predators will be made in the state’s next legislative session, and we will continue to work with WWA and our member groups in the region to protect wolves.

ESC Uses Bear Awareness Week to Send a Message to Department of Interior

Derek Goldman – National Field Director

ESC projected a message on US Department of Interior

This year, national Bear Awareness Week fell in mid-May, and we decided to use that opportunity to raise awareness about grizzly bears, in a most unique way. ESC worked with the Backbone Campaign and a few of our conservation partners to project the image of a grizzly bear onto the wall of the U.S. Department of Interior. The following day, our staff returned to Interior and delivered over 100,000 petition signatures Sec. Haaland and FWS Director Martha Williams, urging them to keep grizzly bears protected.

ESC and member organization staff delivering petition

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering removal ofESAt protections for two populations of grizzly bears—the Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide (think: Glacier) populations. While progress has been made towards recovering these bears from a century of persecution, they still face threats from expanding development and recreation in their habitat. More recently, states like Montana and Idaho have passed aggressive, anti-carnivore policies that could jeopardize future recovery and progress so far. Some politicians and government bureaucrats in these states are hostile to grizzlies and other carnivores, and they have demonstrated intent to reduce the grizzly population once FWS oversight is removed. That’s why ESC is opposing efforts to delist grizzly bears at this time.

Add your name to tell the US Fish and Wildlife Service to keep grizzly bears protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The Grizzly bear is an American wildlife icon, and a key component of our unique Western wildlife heritage. Lewis and Clark wrote about encountering grizzly bears when they explored the West more than 200 years ago. As one of the slowest-reproducing mammals on the planet, grizzly bears will always be sensitive to mortality, and will require continuous, strong conservation measures. We need to keep ESA safeguards in place until the science shows grizzly bears are fully recovered, and until the states have adequate rules in place to ensure grizzly bears will thrive for future generations.

Celebrating and Conserving Sonoran Desert Species

Jeanne Dodds – Creative Engagement Director

Saguaro cactus. Agave. Monarch butterflies. These are just a few of the iconic plant and animal species of the Sonoran Desert spotlighted at one of our recent community events for biodiversity conservation, in Arivaca, Arizona. On April 20th, we celebrated and raised awareness of imperiled species, through visual art, community outreach, native plantings, science lectures, and youth activities. In partnership with the Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project, and with a generous donation of agaves from member organization Bat Conservation International, the Endangered Species Coalition installed agave and other native plants to create a night blooming garden for nighttime pollinator specialists, including pollinating bats and moths.

While community members installed the native plants, including the agave along with night blooming yucca, datura, and others, Tohono O’odham artist Paul ‘Nox’ Pablo painted a representative mural, illustrating the nighttime garden species and the plants on which they rely. The center panel of the mural features a whirlwind design, which has significance in the Tohono O’odham culture as a representation of the wind and is an important symbol of pollination and the element of air. Read more…

Art and Storytelling Move People to Protect Orcas

John Rosapepe, Pacific Northwest Field Representative

On the evening of June 12th, tribal members, whale activists, salmon researchers, and so many more gathered at the Seattle Aquarium for All Our Relations: Tribute to the Orca. It was the Endangered Species Coalition’s honor to sponsor the commemoration and to be in the presence of so many people who bring us immense hope for the future of our Southern Residents. The energy and inspiration of the night will not soon be forgotten.

There was reflection and grief for the passing of the mother orca Tokitae, Tahlequah, and all the orca mothers who have lost their children. But there was hope for healthy orcas, returning salmon, and a free-flowing Snake River. The program opened with a statement from Duwamish Tribal Council Member Ken Workman. His words went beyond the Duwamish, thanking the many tribes of the Salish Sea for their millennia of stewardship.

In addition to the main program speakers and education tables from organizations, artwork was a key piece of the event’s focus. Part of Gabriel Newton’s Superpod collection, acrylics of the Southern Residents painted on driftwood pieces, were hung on the walls. And Cyaltsa Finkbonner’s striking welded sculpture, filled with its symbolism and imagery, was center stage. They served to remind us of the power art has to make connections and tell stories. Read more…