| | Gray wolf pups. The new rule would allow Idaho and Montana to kill all but 450 gray wolves. |
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Dear Sharon, I'm sad, but not surprised, to say that the Bush administration announced its decision yesterday to remove northern Rockies' gray wolves from the endangered species list. This new rule would allow Idaho and Montana to kill all but 450 gray wolves—leaving a population that is too small to survive by almost any measure. We're not taking this assault on gray wolves lying down. In fact, because of support from folks like you, we're prepared to serve the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a 60-day notice of intent to file suit to stop the wolf slaughter as soon as the decision is made official. By ramming through this decision to delist the wolves—in its trademark contempt for science and the rule of law—the administration is allowing Idaho and Montana to kill nearly 1,000 wolves. I want to reassure you that my team and I won't rest until we've secured long-term protections for the wolves. And Earthjustice is committed to not only seeing through this latest court fight, but also to reaching out to the Obama administration to establish protections that ensure a sustainable population of the gray wolves of the northern Rockies. We want wolves to recover to the point where they can come off of the endangered species list—much like the success with the American bald eagle—but we want to see them come off under the right conditions. This means taking steps to halt the current wolf population decline, increasing the population to at least 2,000-3,000 wolves, ensuring necessary connectivity among wolves throughout the northern Rockies, and creating a legal safety net for wolves that prevents states from killing hundreds of wolves after delisting. We are committed to seeing this challenge through the end and ensuring that the gray wolves keep the protections necessary to their survival. And with your help, we will prevail. Thank you for all that you do. Regards, Doug Honnold
Managing Attorney, Northern Rockies Office
Earthjustice P.S. So far, our court victories have stopped wolf hunting in the northern Rockies, but only because the support from folks like you allows us to provide the legal services that the wolves—and many environmental groups—depend on. I hope that we can continue to count on your support. | 
