I had high hopes that with the the November 2008 Presidential election, things would be different in the United States in so many ways.

One very important one was our animals. And with the federal government, our wild animals.

I am especially passionate about wild horses and wolves. I am passionate about all animals, but I have come to know, that in order to be effective I cannot do in-depth advocacy for too too many animals. Called: spread myself too thin. There is a lot of work, time and energy devoted in advocating for animals.

So this year, I too was watching very closely to see who President Obama would appoint as Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Agriculture. The two federal deparments and cabinet posts that strictly deal with the environment and wildlife.

I thought the wolves would be spared killing this year after President Obama, immediately after taking office, froze Bush's last minute ruling to take wolves off the endangered species list.

Then more good news when on March 2, 2009, Alaskan Kim Elton was appointed Director of Alaskan Affairs at the Deptartment of the Interior in Washington, DC. He has been a defender of wildlife in Alaska for years, especially the wolves, and a foe of Governor Palin.

Jubilation. Hope. Finally, after so many years of federal environmental and wildlife mismanagement in favor of special interest groups in Washington, DC!!

Then a bonanza when President Obama stood before the employees of the Department of the Interior with Secretary of the interior, Salazar, and vowed "to help restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act." This was on March 4, 2009.

How shocked I was to read, that two days later, March 6, 2009, the new Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, had delisted the wolves! Taken them off the endangered species list authorizing the states in the northern Rockies and greater Yellowstone region to begin the killing, the slaughter of wolves. Over 1,000 wolves are now in danger of being slaughtered. Of note, the wolves were delisted last March 2008. The killing began. It was such a slaughter that a judge stopped all killing and again listed the wolves as endangered in July 2008.

Now Governor Palin in Alaska. The killing machine.

While running for Vice-President, it became known that she was an avid hunter. However, most importantly, she was suing the federal government so the Alaskan polar bear would be taken off the endangered species list. A few weeks ago, she did the same with the beluga whale.

And now again the wolves, and more, much more...and worse.

It was only a short time ago, when Gov. Palin added a bounty of $150.00 for each wolf paw brought in from a wolf kill...killing mainly by aerial tracking of the wolves for miles and shooting. This bounty was to increase the incentive for hunters to kill. Also, in July 2008, 14 pups were killed in their dens by shots to the head. This was unprecedented. A large brouhaha ensued.

Now the killing begins anew. If anyone thought it could get any worse...well, please read on.

Lions and Tigers and Bears? Yes and No. It is Bears, Wolves and Wolf Pups, Oh My!!

This article relates the latest goings on in Alaska to allegedly reduce the number of "predators" to caribou and moose. Hello?! I presume it is the same ole, for oil and gas. And yes, the ever present "trophy hunters." Just like with the polar bear and beluga whale.

And killing is when the bears and wolves give birth to pups and cubs. Spring. Young pups and cubs still babies in May, June, July... So now the need to kill the babies because the wolf pack will be decimated and bear mothers killed. And how many other animals will be "mistakenly snared" in these traps?

Has anyone seen photos of a wolf pup or bear cub staying with a dying or dead mother?

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ARTICLE:

ALASKA'S PREDATOR CONTROL PROGRAM NOW ALLOWS HUNTERS TO USE BEAR PAW SNARES

By Pete Thomas, Los Angeles Times, March 10, 2009

About the same time Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano was downgraded from orange to yellow, meaning an eruption is less likely, the state's [Alaska] Board of Game set off its own fireworks by announcing new guidlines in a predator control program that now allows the use of paw snares to catch and kill bears {brown/black bears], and helicopters for access.

You may recall the criticism leveled at Gov. Sarah Palin during her bid to become vice president over her support for the aerial hunting of wolves as part of the program.

Under the new guidelines, hunters can use snares to trap black bears in a specific area and can access the area via private helicopters. As for WOLVES, state employees are now authorized to use poison gas to kill orphaned wolf pups in dens (orphaned, presumably, after aerial hunting).

Most existing wolf-kill programs have been renewed, and the board did reject a highly controversial plan by the state's Department of Fish and Game to allow private hunters to shoot wolves from helicopters east of Fairbanks, along the Canadian border.

Naturally, the program is again under fire. In a story in the Anchorage Daily News, Defenders of Wildlife spokesman, Wade Willis said, "Those are all big expansions based on just the desperate nature of the Board of Game and the [Department of Fish and Game] to be successful. Their backs are against the wall. Really how much farther can you go?"

Overall, the program is designed to remove enough predators to allow other animals, such as moose and caribou, to rebound and flourish.


END OF ARTICLE

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I wonder, is it the economy? The United States is going mad. It is unbelievable.

Wolf and bear massive reductions for oil/gas industries, ranchers/cattle, sport/trophy hunting.

And in addition, at least 5 states...and more jumping on... are introducing legislation to have horse slaughter plants built in their state. The two slaughter houses in the U.S. were closed by law in 2007 in Texas and Illinois.

And there is more. The wild horses are still in great danger. Round-ups continue while over 30,000 remain in captivity under the Bureau Of Land Management. Plus, there are now problems with the BLM and Madeleine Pickens who is/was (??) to build a sanctuary for all BLM's 30,000 horses... and rescue more.

I wonder what the Secretary of the Interior's plans are for the wild horses?

My thoughts. Thank you.

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
Mark 8:36