Center for Biological Diversity

Media Advisory, May 2, 2019

Contact: Stephanie Taylor, (971) 288-6184, staylor@biologicaldiversity.org

Rep. Blumenauer to Kick Off Portland Rally, Hearing on Trump Plan to End Wolf Protection

PORTLAND, Ore.— Rep. Earl Blumenauer will speak at the start of a rally and hearing that wolf advocates are holding Monday in Portland. The hearing will give the public a chance to comment on the Trump administration’s proposal to end federal protection for nearly all wolves in the lower 48 states; it will be preceded by a rally for wolves, with advocates and speakers.

The Trump administration released its proposal in March but has refused to schedule any hearings to accept public comment on the topic. Instead, conservation groups have organized their own hearings in Portland, Sacramento, Calif. and Denver, Colo.

Written comments are due May 14. Verbal comments from Monday’s event will be transcribed so they can be submitted into the official record with the Fish and Wildlife Service.  

The Center for Biological Diversity is holding the rally with cosponsors The Humane Society of the United States, Cascadia Wildlands, Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife.

What: A rally for wolves followed by a chance for the public to provide verbal testimony on the Trump administration’s plan to end federal wolf protection

When: Monday, May 6, at 5 p.m.

Where: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97215

Media availability: Wolf advocates and conservation groups will be on hand to speak to the media before, during and after the event.

“The future of America’s wolves is being decided right now, and the public has a right to be heard,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s heartless and utterly shortsighted to pull the plug on wolf recovery and let these amazing animals again be hunted and trapped. This is the moment to speak out.”

Background
On March 6 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to strip gray wolves of Endangered Species Act protection across the lower 48 states. If finalized the proposal will allow trophy hunting and trapping of wolves in some areas and essentially end recovery of wolves in the United States.

The proposal would remove federal protection from all gray wolves, with the exception of Mexican gray wolves, which are listed separately under the Endangered Species Act.

The proposal will also all but ensure that wolves are not allowed to recover in the Adirondacks, southern Rockies and elsewhere that scientists have identified as suitable habitat.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

www.biologicaldiversity.org

More press releases