Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Petition calls for stronger protections from ship strikes

Collisions with ships in the busy waters off the U.S. East Coast are one of the greatest threats to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. And with only about 400 of these animals left, every whale death can have a huge impact on the long-term recovery of the species.

That’s why Defenders and a coalition of our conservation allies filed a petition today with the National Marine Fisheries Service, demanding stronger protections to guard against the threat of ship strikes.

Temporary protections were put in place in 2008 that set speed limits in important whale habitat, including the species’ calving grounds off the coast of Florida, their feeding and breeding grounds off the coast of New England, and their well-traveled migration path in between. But those protections were arbitrarily set to expire in December 2013, even though the threat of ship strikes remains.

As a result, Defenders is asking federal officials to extend the current ship speed limits, apply them to additional areas where ship strikes are likely to occur, and lengthen the amount of time that seasonal protections are in place.

As Defenders senior staff attorney Sierra Weaver says:

“Protections for highly endangered whales should not be removed until the whales have recovered. We hope the agency will follow the advice of its own experts and act quickly to make sure there is no gap in protections.”

Read the coalition’s press release about extending right whale protections.

In past centuries, North Atlantic right whales were decimated by the commercial whaling industry, and while whaling is no longer a threat, other man-made problems like ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear continue to regularly kill and seriously injure whales.

Right whales received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act in the early 1970s but still have not recovered. Females don’t reach reproductive maturity until age eight, and they only give birth to one calf every four years. Furthermore, these reproductive females and their babies are both the most important animals to the future of the species and the most vulnerable to ship strikes because they spend more time near the surface of the water.

Extending seasonal boat speed limits is the best way to ensure as many right whales as possible are able to survive and reproduce.

Lake of the Lone Indian, John Muir Wilderness

The U.S. Forest Service agreed on Monday to let an independent panel of scientists review the list of plants and animals the agency will be responsible for monitoring in the Sierra Nevada national forests, settling a lawsuit brought by Defenders and our conservation partners in 2008.

The wellbeing of these “indicator species” reflects the overall health of a forest. If the Forest Service finds that logging, for example, would cause the species harm, wildlife officials should take precautionary steps to protect them before allowing a timber harvest to move forward.

Defenders’ forest expert Peter Nelson says, “The settlement gives us greater confidence that the management of Sierra Nevada Forests will be based on science, not politics. This is good news for both Californians and this region’s sensitive wildlife.”

Read the full story on Defenders’ website.

Climate change will mean more frequent and intense droughts and forest fires. Photo courtesy USDA

Preserving and rebuilding natural defenses is one of the most cost-effective, practical and sustainable ways to protect American communities and natural resources from natural disasters, according to a new report released by Defenders of Wildlife. The new report demonstrates that by strengthening natural defenses like floodplains, wetlands, and forests — which help with erosion protection, flood control and water filtration, we can “harness nature” to help protect us from extreme events.

The report comes on the tail of a year of record-breaking natural disasters. No fewer than 14 weather disasters caused damages exceeding one billion dollars each in the United States in 2011, breaking the previous record of nine in 2008. Already, 2012 has seen unusually frequent and fierce weather patterns, such as the “weekend of 100 tornadoes.” With the recent announcement that the past 12 months were the warmest on record, more years like 2011 are undoubtedly to come.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, had this to say as she marked the report’s release:

“The weather changes occurring across the country are not like a bad storm that will eventually blow over. As climate change continues unabated, these events will intensify in years to come. Tornados, floods and wildfires can destroy entire communities and will continue to do so unless we take steps to prepare ourselves and protect our communities in a changing world. Fortunately, one of our best allies against increasingly devastating natural disasters is nature itself.

“Already, communities across the country are taking advantages of the defenses nature provides. In New York, they are protecting the watershed to maintain a safe drinking water supply. In Missouri, they are restoring wetlands to protect farms and communities from flooding. And these are just a few examples. Our report shows that viable and cost-effective solutions to climate-change risks can help America better prepare for the challenges ahead.”

Links: http://www.defenders.org/publications/harnessing-nature.pdf

Read more about Defenders’ work to help the country prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Damaged croplands could have a second life with solar farms.

BREAKING: The California State Legislature passed a highly controversial bill (AB 1073) today allowing a single massive solar-energy project to bypass mandatory environmental reviews by state and local regulatory agencies.

Despite concerns raised by local citizens, conservation groups and American Indian tribes, the California Energy Commission approved in 2011 an earlier iteration of the Calico solar project, but the project has since changed ownership from Tesserra to K-Road Power and change in content and scope.

Revamping the project would normally require additional local and state environmental studies to evaluate the impact of the new technology, but AB 1073 would send the project straight back to the California Energy Commission (CEC), who is expected to rubberstamp its permit.

Defenders’ California program director, Kim Delfino, criticized the legislature’s vote.

“The legislature’s action is a serious setback in the effort to plan for the best renewable energy future for our nation and California,” Delfino said. “The Calico solar project poses such a significant threat to the sensitive Pisgah Valley that it comes as no surprise that K-Road Power would push for legislation that short circuits any environmental review that would bring to light the project’s true impacts.”

DESERT TORTOISE, (C) Jeff Aardahl/Defenders of Wildlife

The Calico solar project is slated to be built on some 4,000 acres of environmentally sensitive public lands in Pisgah Valley, which provides vital habitat for threatened desert tortoise, golden eagles, desert big horn sheep and other imperiled wildlife.

A number of the nation’s leading conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club, recently filed federal lawsuits against the project due to incomplete, insufficient environmental review of the project’s potential to harm imperiled wildlife and protected species..

“Unfortunately, California’s lawmakers allowed a single developer to bypass environmental laws designed to protect the public’s interest,” Delfino added. “This move is purely for the benefit of one company, does nothing to speed up our transition to clean energy, and will only lead to more controversy, costly delays and destruction of environmentally sensitive lands.”

State, federal officials allow more than 400 wolves to be killed in first year of state management

WASHINGTON (April 30, 2012) – On May 5, 2011, Congress used a budget rider to remove the Northern Rockies wolf from the list of endangered species.  For the past year, Idaho and Montana have been in charge of managing wolves in their states. Idaho in particular has pursued very aggressive strategies, including allowing very liberal hunting and trapping seasons during which more than 375 wolves have been killed so far. Dozens more wolves have been killed in Idaho as a result of targeted removals in response to livestock losses and to artificially boost elk herds in select areas.

The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“For years, Idaho’s leaders repeatedly said that they would manage wolves responsibly. Idaho wildlife biologists even wrote a plan to maintain 518-732 wolves. But Idaho Governor Otter rescinded the biologists’ plan, and state officials indicate they have no plans to manage for more than 150 wolves. It seems when finally given the chance to manage their own wolves responsibly, Idaho has shown itself quite unwilling to do so.

“In the past year, state officials have pursued some of the exact same short-sighted, predator control strategies from the 1800s that put wolves on the endangered species list in the first place. They’re treating wolves like vermin instead of managing them like valuable native wildlife. That’s not how Idaho manages other species like black bears and mountain lions, and it’s not a responsible way to manage wolves either.

Idaho's hostility to wolves is more evident now than ever.

“Meanwhile, the federal government is sitting idly by as Idaho almost singlehandedly unravels one of our nation’s greatest wildlife conservation success stories. This is totally unheard of—never before has a species climbed its way back from near extinction only to be quickly decimated once again. Americans deserve a better return on their investment after helping to restore wolves in the Northern Rockies.

“The Obama administration and members of Congress who supported the wolf rider share the blame for stripping vital protections without adequate safeguards in place, and now it’s their job to hold Idaho accountable. The question is: How low will Idaho have to go before those responsible for the wolf’s premature delisting do something?”

The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife:

“The concerns of Idahoans who care about wolves are being completed ignored by our state officials.  At last month’s Idaho Fish and Game Commission meeting, wolf supporters outnumbered opponents more than three to one yet not one of our concerns about more than doubling the number of wolves that hunters and trappers can kill in the upcoming season were addressed.  The state pledged to manage wolves like they do other wildlife, but mountain lions and black bears are not managed this aggressively.  Idaho maintains approximately 3,000 mountain lions and 20,000 black bears and less than 600 wolves are left today.  We need a responsible wildlife management plan for Idaho before the population is decimated.”

Background:

Gray wolves in the Northern Rockies were officially delisted on May 5, 2011, as the result of a budget rider introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). The provision was the first in the 40-year history of the Endangered Species Act to strip federal protections for an individual species by legislative fiat.

Read more about wolves on Defenders blog

Learn more about what Defenders is doing to protect wolves in the Northern Rockies

See Idaho Fish and Game’s wolf hunting and trapping website

A herder and his dogs keep their eyes on a flock of sheep in central Idaho's Wood River Valley.

Just in time for Earth Day, Defenders announced today that it spent over $300,000 in 2011 to help ranchers and communities coexist with wildlife and maintain a healthy environment.

Through our Wildlife Coexistence Partnership program, Defenders implemented or provided incentives for more than 100 projects in nine states across the country, including Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, as well as Mexico. Projects included hiring range riders, creating buffer zones for prairie dogs, paying for electric fencing, purchasing bear-proof food lockers and dumpsters, purchasing trail cameras to document panther activity and compensating ranchers for lost livestock. These projects benefited prairie dogs, bison, gray wolves, grizzly bears, jaguars, polar bears, Florida panthers and Florida black bears.

“The nonlethal tools that we’re testing in places like Idaho, Oregon and Montana are showing that people really can share the landscape with wolves with a little extra effort,” says Suzanne Stone, Defenders Northern Rockies representative in Boise, Idaho. “Fladry, guard dogs, range riders—these basic deterrents have all proven effective when they’re given a chance. We’ve demonstrated that losses to wolves can be dropped to near zero levels if appropriate, proactive steps are taken to prevent conflict. Ranchers are able to safeguard their livestock while helping to maintain healthy populations of native wildlife.”

A relocation project at Thunder Basin National Grassland in eastern Wyoming has helped save prairie dogs from shooting and poisoning.. Photo by Lacy Gray.

“We recognize that living in areas with grizzly bears or roaming bison isn’t always easy. That’s why we’re investing in projects that benefit people and wildlife,” says Jonathan Proctor, Defenders Rocky Mountain representative in Missoula, Montana. “For example, we helped pay for dozens of projects to keep grizzly bears out of chicken coops, beehives, and trash, primarily by installing electric fencing. These methods work and can prevent conflict with minimal upfront cost to individual property owners.”

“By working together, we are able to bring imperiled wildlife back from the brink of extinction and ease the burden on livestock owners and ranchers,” says Craig Miller, Defenders Southwest representative in Tucson, Arizona. “Our coexistence projects offer a bright future for rare and unique wildlife such as wolves and jaguars and also for ranchers and landowners who are taking steps to help make that possible.”

“The Florida panther’s downward spiral toward extinction has been reversed in recent years and the number of cats has been growing. But for the population to continue to recover, it’s essential the endangered cats avoid conflicts with ranchers and livestock as well as pets and farm animals,” says Laurie Macdonald, Defenders Florida director in St. Petersburg. “By exploring coexistence, compensation and incentive programs that work for both panthers and property owners, we can find effective, long-term solutions that protect the big cats and preserve the Florida rancher’s way of life.”

Click to see a larger map of our 2011 Wildlife Coexistnece Partnership projects.

2011 Totals

Minimum number of proactive projects and incentives by region:

• Northern Rockies – 60
• Southwest and Mexico – 20
• Southeast (Florida) – 21
• Great Plains (Kansas & Wyoming) – 3

Number of compensation payments by region:

• Northern Rockies – 38
• Southwest and Mexico – 2

Minimum number of projects and incentives by species:

• Wolf – 34
• Grizzly bear – 39
• Prairie dog – 3
• Bison – 5
• Jaguar – 2
• Florida panther – 10
• Florida black bear – 11

Number of compensation payments by species:

• Grizzly bear – 31
• Wolf – 9

This Florida panther was caught on camera as part of a monitoring study.

Minimum amount spent on various project and incentive types:

• Fladry –$20,497
• Range riders – $65,960
• Technical field assistance, workshops and information – $126,509
• Compensation for livestock depredation – $56,650
• Dumpsters, garbage bins and food lockers – $17,483
• Fencing and buffers – $18,650

Read our full press release.