Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President & CEO
Bruce Babbit, former Secretary of the Interior 

The true price of Sally Jewell’s confirmation as the new interior secretary is about to be revealed. Before agreeing not to fight Jewell’s nomination last month, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) extracted a commitment from the Interior Department to delay a decision on whether a road can be built to the southwest Alaska village of King Cove, population 950.

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the road would severely damage the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a national treasure that is home to a vast array of creatures, including seals, salmon, caribou, bears and waterfowl. The senator was buying time in an effort to persuade the new secretary to go against the service’s findings and approve the road anyway. Now the final decision is pending — and more than wildlife is at stake. It is really the U.S. taxpayer who stands to lose if the road goes through.

The additional cost to federal taxpayers for building the road would be more than $33 million — a lot of money for one tiny village. And if it seems like you have heard this story before, that’s because you have.

In 1998, we were the interior secretary and director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, respectively, when the Izembek road proposal was earmarked in an appropriations bill headed for passage in Congress. But a lengthy scientific review determined that the road would devastate the Izembek refuge, so President Bill Clinton threatened a veto unless the earmark was removed.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), then chairman of the Appropriations Committee, rolled out his main argument: The residents of King Cove needed better access to an air strip in the event of medical emergencies requiring evacuation. In response, we suggested upgrading the existing ferry service from King Cove across Cold Bay to the air strip, which would avoid the need for a road through a wildlife refuge.

Stevens responded that an upgraded ferry would work, if we were prepared to also fund an upgrade of the existing marine terminals on the bay. We agreed. The senator then demanded an upgraded video teleconference link to a trauma facility in Anchorage. We agreed. Then he asked for a new ocean-worthy hovercraft capable of crossing the bay in any weather. We agreed to that as well. The final bill to the U.S. taxpayer? Over $50 million; more than $52,000 per resident of King Cove.

It was a huge price to pay to accommodate the rare medical emergencies of one small Alaska village, but accommodate them we did. Alaska got its taxpayer-funded medical emergency solution, and we helped ensure the survival of the Izembek Refuge. End of story.

Or so we thought.

Now the Alaska delegation is back, once again demanding a road through the refuge, as if the 1998 deal had never happened. That hovercraft purchased with taxpayer dollars? Despite a 100 percent success rate in carrying out more than 30 medical evacuations, local officials suspended service in 2010, saying the hovercraft was unreliable and too expensive to operate. But that hasn’t stopped them from using it to transport seasonal seafood workers from a nearby cannery.

Moreover, as Pete Mjos, the former medical director for the area, recently said, the proposed road would be impassable and even life-threatening during the region’s typical winter storms. Even in the best weather conditions, it would still be a two-hour trip. The hovercraft? Thirty minutes each way across the bay. And all without slicing through a pristine wilderness area with 21 miles of road, eight bridges, 19 culverts and 254 stream crossings.

Congress is on record calling for an end to earmarks for pork-barrel projects. And every day we hear more calls for spending cuts and belt-tightening. U.S. taxpayers have already chipped in more than enough for this project. Asking them to pay tens of millions on top of the more than $50 million they have already spent is asking too much. It’s time the Izembek road project was killed for good.

This letter was originally published in the Washington Post.

Defenders’ president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO 

It’s no secret Congress is gridlocked on climate change. Climate change challenges the sources of energy that fueled the industrial revolution and our current standard of living. Shifting to new sources of energy is a big deal, with lots of special interests with high stakes in the outcome.

We have to change. And we can. Think of the amazing technological revolutions we have seen in just the last decade. Yes we are powering 21st century technology with 19th century energy. There simply has to be a better way.

It has become clear that we can’t wait for Congress to help transition to a low-carbon energy system. In 2012, we experienced the most expensive storm on record, record heat waves, record wildfires and record lows in Arctic sea ice. Our communities and the natural systems we value and depend on are feeling these impacts now.

Our lawmakers finally took an excellent step in the right direction over the winter. When Congress funded emergency recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy, it put in provisions to encourage rebuilding with climate change adaptation in mind and preparing for future storms and weather events made more likely by our planet heating up. Now Congress needs to build on that foundation and get ahead of the curve, enacting laws to make our communities, wildlife and natural areas more resilient to the changes to come.

The Obama administration is trying to move forward, as exemplified by the recent release of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. That strategy now needs to be implemented, and Congress needs to incorporate climate risks throughout federal decision making to mitigate those risks and prepare for future impacts. This will save lives, livelihoods and dollars.

Hopefully, our political leaders have a growing awareness of extreme weather and the formidable threat it poses both to our communities and our natural resources. It’s time for them to focus on the future and put people, homes and habitat ahead of 19th century interests.

Originally published in the National Journal, in response to “What’s Holding Back Energy & Climate Policy?”

(A special breaking edition of Wolf Weekly Wrap-up)

By Jamie Rappaport Clark

Just as we feared, it appears that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is ready to give up on wolf recovery before the job is done.

The LA Times reports today that the Service is expected to release its proposal soon to strip federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for most gray wolves in the United States. Under the proposed delisting, only Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest would still be protected by the federal law. The opportunity for expanding wolf recovery to areas with superb, unoccupied habitat in areas such as Colorado, Utah and California would be abandoned entirely, and the future of smaller developing wolf populations in the Pacific Northwest could be serious jeopardy. (See map of current vs. historical range of gray wolves.)

The gray wolf delisting proposal represents a major retreat from the optimism and values which have been the hallmark of endangered species recovery in this country for the past 40 years. Instead, the proposal reflects a short-sighted, shrunken and much weaker vision of what our conservation goals should be. The Service has clearly decided to prematurely get out of the wolf conservation business rather than working to achieve full recovery of the species.  Their decision is the equivalent of getting up and leaving in the middle of a wildlife conservation movie, mumbling “game over – we’re done – let’s get some pizza!”

In its proposal, the Service has made a number of dubious determinations that are worth examining in greater detail.

Federal biologists have decided that Canis lupus, the species of gray wolf that once spanned much of the western and central United States, will no longer be considered endangered. Part of the agency’s rationale is that wolves in both the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes have recovered and were already delisted. Of course, this ignores the fact that there are still significant areas in states like Colorado, Utah and California with excellent unoccupied wolf habitat but no wolves. Without federal protection and support for wolf recovery, wolves will be at the mercy of rabid, anti-wolf state politics that, unfortunately, is still far too prevalent across the West. Too often extreme rhetoric from ultra-conservative state politicians wins out over sound wildlife management principles.

More troublingly, the Service concludes that protection is no longer warranted since gray wolf populations worldwide are stable. This is a tragic reversal of long-standing FWS policy to protect imperiled species in this country regardless of their status north or south of our borders. By this same logic, grizzly bears, wolverines, lynx, bald eagles and numerous other iconic species would never have been listed and restored in the lower 48 because they exist in greater numbers in another country. The intent of the ESA was to restore these ecologically important animals in the United States. It doesn’t matter that they exist elsewhere. As Aldo Leopold, the grandfather of modern wildlife management once wrote, “Relegating grizzlies to Alaska is about like relegating happiness to heaven; one may never get there.”

The only bright spot in this otherwise significantly flawed delisting proposal is the Service’s decision to retain protection for Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest as a unique subspecies. With the current population hovering at 75 wolves, the agency at least recognized the need to continue protection for this struggling subspecies.

The bottom line, however, is that wolves are still not recovered in key parts of their range, and the conservation work is not done. Apparently the Service thinks it’s good enough to have gray wolves just in the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes, and they’re ready to call it quits on restoring wolves anywhere else.

But we’re not giving up that easily. There is still time to convince the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to do the right thing and continue the fight for America’s gray wolves. We’re asking all our members and supporters to contact new Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and demand that she maintain protection for wolves so they may continue to expand into their historic range and fully recover. This includes Colorado, Utah, California and western Oregon and Washington – all of which could benefit ecologically and economically from the return of gray wolves.

Please contact Secretary Jewell today and tell her NOT to throw in the towel on gray wolf recovery. These magnificent animals once roamed from Canada down to Mexico. They can do so once again if we give them a chance!

You can also join a live chat this morning about the proposed delisting and the future of wolf recovery in the U.S. with LA Times reporter Julie Cart at 9 a.m. Pacific/12 p.m. Eastern. Click here for more details.

Read Defenders full press release here.

Defenders’ president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President & CEO

This is a big week here at Defenders: Monday was Earth Day and today is Defenders’ 66th anniversary.

When I joined Defenders over nine years ago, I felt privileged to be part of an organization that shared my passion for wildlife and conservation. Like most kids, I grew up loving animals: both wild and domestic, from the neighborhood dog and my pet turtle to lightening bugs, deer, beavers and butterflies. I was lucky to make a career out of my passion.

One of the best things about Defenders is knowing that when I meet with corporations or elected officials, when I testify on Capitol Hill, when I work with states agencies or tribes, I know that I am representing more than one million conservation minded people. And that all of you stand ready to speak out for the wildlife that have no voices for themselves. We are their voices, their activists, their lobbyists, their ambassadors, their communicators. They are counting on us to conserve and represent them.

Thanks to the Defenders’ conservation community, we have done some amazing things for wildlife. Thanks to you, we have:

• Brought wolves back to Yellowstone, the Northern Rockies and the desert Southwest
• Protected the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the dangers of oil and gas drilling
• Initiated a national campaign to help guide proposed solar and wind energy projects to low conflict zones that avoid impacts to wildlife and fragile ecosystems
• Advocated for slower speed zones, wildlife underpasses and other tools to protect Florida panthers and other wildlife from collisions and death on Florida roads
• Relocated genetically pure bison from Yellowstone Park to tribal lands on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana
• Remained vigilant and effective against attacks upon the Endangered Species Act

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

We could not have accomplished any of this without you. Our members and activists are critical to conservation. So this week, as we celebrate Earth Day, pat yourself on the back and know that you have played a big part in some incredible conservation success stories. Keep up the great work! Happy Anniversary and Happy Earth Day. Thank you!

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President & CEO

Defenders’ president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Happy Earth Day, everybody! Today is that annual celebration when environmental leaders take the podium and implore us to stop poking holes in the planet, chopping down its trees and polluting its waters. These are important messages to be sure. To solve our greatest challenges, we need to continually ask ourselves how we can enjoy nature’s bounty while still preserving it for future generations in a truly sustainable way. But for me, Earth Day is also a time to reflect on my own values and remind myself why I got into wildlife conservation in the first place.

It all started with Speedy, my pet turtle that I had as a little kid. I named him Speedy as a joke, but I used to love watching him crawl through the grass and climb over pebbles in the driveway or just stand still, stretching his neck out of his shell. I remember how ancient his wrinkled body and stony shell looked even though he was quite young. I would stare into his dark, little eyes as if peering through a gateway to another world, wondering what mysteries lay on the other side.

I grew up in a military family, so we moved around a lot. Being a shy kid, it was hard to make friends when we were moving every year or two from state to state and sometimes to different countries. But wherever we went, I found animals to hang out with, whether it was one of our pets, backyard birds, or a stray dog from down the street. Then in sixth grade, my parents finally broke down and got me a pony named Spooky. I probably spent more time with that pony than I did in school, but as long as I made straight A’s, my mom was fine with that.

As I got older, my love of animals sparked an interest in studying biology, which eventually led me to a career as a wildlife biologist with the military. I never dreamed that I would work my way up the ranks to become the top wildlife biologist for the U.S. Army, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and now president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife.

Protecting wildlife is not just a job for me; this is my life’s mission and what I love to do. Each day there is a new problem to solve on the path toward securing a brighter future for wildlife great and small and the habitat they all need to survive. Sometimes it’s frustrating or downright exhausting, especially when it feels like we’re only fighting to stop from sliding backwards instead of leading the charge forward. But our country’s natural wonders are worth fighting for and too important to give up on.

These days, however, too many politicians seem to have lost touch with the values Congress and our country embraced 40 years ago when conservation laws such as the Endangered Species Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Those visionary leaders recognized that America’s wildlife has both intrinsic worth as well as practical value. Our native plants and animals are a source of artistic and spiritual inspiration, but they also provide a cornucopia of natural and medicinal benefits and recreational opportunities worth billions of dollars every year.

Yet that’s still not enough for those who prize near-term profits over the long-term health and sustainability of our planet and the human race. Unfortunately, a number of lawmakers now seem intent on weakening or repealing our bedrock environmental laws altogether. Indeed, wildlife opponents often use national economic challenges as an excuse to try to roll back essential protections under the guise of creating more jobs, ignoring the fact that maintaining a healthy planet will ensure a healthy economy as well. And even though conservation programs are a minuscule portion of the federal budget, some politicians are still attempting to slash vital funding for conserving imperiled wildlife. Others are playing special-interest politics by trying to dismantle endangered species protections one species at a time.

It’s time to stop gambling with America’s most vital assets. We need our elected leaders to reaffirm their conservation values from the first Earth Day and recommit to the basic environmental principles that our nation adopted over four decades ago. In the face of rapid climate change, rampant energy development and continued habitat loss, we must stop the further decline of imperiled wildlife before they slip closer to the abyss of extinction.

I have felt a strong moral obligation most of my life to conserve our natural resources, especially America’s rich diversity of wildlife. Part of that is a simple appreciation of all the amazing animals that helped me get through those childhood years on Army bases around the world. But the other part is a recognition of how lucky we all are to spend a lifetime on a beautiful planet with such incredible creatures. It is perhaps the greatest gift we can give to our children and grandchildren.

As you celebrate Earth Day this year, please take a moment to consider your own values. We must all reconnect with what’s important in our own lives and recommit to conserving our planet so the next generation can share in our collective sense of wonder.

This article also appeared on The Huffington Post.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO

Defenders’ president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Anniversaries are often a time for balloons and confetti. Sometimes, though, it takes an anniversary to remind us of a bigger picture and more important message. On March 29, we mark the 15th anniversary of the initial release of Mexican gray wolves from captivity into the wilds of the American southwest. Before you cheer this victory and marvel at how fast time goes by, realize that celebration may be a bit premature. Mexican gray wolves will be in a lot of trouble soon if things don’t change.

In 1998, while serving as the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I was privileged to help release the first group of Mexican gray wolves back into the wild in Arizona. These wolves (lobos, as they are affectionately known) were on the brink of extinction in the mid-1970s. But thanks largely to the work of scientists overseeing captive breeding programs, we were able to release 11 lobos into the Apache National Forest of Arizona.

It was the first time in three decades that wolves roamed wild again in that state. Being there to see the wolves take their first steps into the wild was an unforgettable and moving experience, one that I will carry with me forever. Since then, Defenders of Wildlife and other organizations have worked closely with federal and state wildlife agencies, tribes and local communities to help people coexist with wolves and protect this most endangered creature.

Jamie (left) and former Arizona governor Bruce Babbit (right) carry a mexican wolf to the release site. (©Hans Stuart)

Thanks to these efforts, 75 Mexican gray wolves were recorded in the wild last year. A climb from 11 to 75 is clearly nothing to sneer at, but an underlying crisis warrants placing a big, bold asterisk next to that tally.

All of the Mexican gray wolves in the world today are descended from just seven wolves that began the captive breeding program. Such a limited genetic heritage leaves the lobos with smaller litters of pups, increased susceptibility to disease, and less adaptability to changing conditions. And only three breeding pairs remained in the wild in 2012, further hampering the likelihood of producing offspring. Over the long term, these wolves’ very survival is at risk.

All of this points to a perfect storm of trouble for the beleaguered Mexican gray wolves that will only get worse in the next few years. These wolves have remarkable resiliency, but they can’t do it all alone. They need our help, and this 15th anniversary marks the perfect time to help give them the ultimate anniversary present: a better chance of survival in the wild.

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement a three-point emergency rescue plan for Mexican gray wolves in order to assure their long-term survival:

• Release more wolves from captivity as the first step in a science-based genetic rescue plan.
• Complete the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan, and implement it.
• Move ahead as quickly as possible to establish at least two additional populations of Mexican gray wolves in the wild.

Captive Mexican gray wolf and pup (©Joel Sartore)

There’s a silver lining here. There are about 300 Mexican gray wolves in captivity at zoos and breeding centers, many of which have yet to breed. If we want to be able to celebrate many more anniversaries of the date of their original release, the Service needs to repeat its actions from 15 years ago by releasing more of these wolves from captivity into the wild.

Mexican gray wolves are an icon of the American southwest. They are near and dear to my heart as well as the heart of many who have invested time and energy into their recovery. The 15th anniversary is an important time to reflect on how far these wolves have come, to be sure. But let’s not just stand by and watch the inevitable decline start to happen. Now is the time to act.

This post also appeared on the Huffington Post.

Click here to take action and urge the USFWS to make Mexican gray wolf recovery a priority!