The Bush administration misread the law when it removed endangered-species protections from a population of some 4,000 gray wolves in the Great Lakes region, a federal judge ruled Monday. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman reinstated the wolves onto the endangered-species list, agreeing with green groups that Great Lakes wolves are not a "distinct population segment" able to be de-listed without regard to wolf well-being elsewhere. Friedman's ruling reverses new state rules that allowed residents in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to kill wolves that attacked livestock or pets. The ruling echoed recent goings-on in the Northern Rockies, where the Bush administration recently declared wolves recovered, inspiring states to lift bans on wolf hunting, only to see a judge reinstate endangered-species protections. Notes Amy Atwood of the Center for Biological Diversity, "The Bush administration's repeated attempts to push the limits of the Endangered Species Act have been decidedly rejected by the courts."
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BlackBear Posted 7:23 pm
30 Sep 2008
I'm still not entirely sure that I like the ESA because it forces us to focus on individual species which leads to all this nonsense about whether or not numbers are up or down (see: polar bears, ivory billed woodpeckers, et al). In addition not every species is "attractive" (Pearly Winged Mussel, anyone?) and so its hard for anyone to see protecting them as terribly important.
It would make more ecologic sense (but would admittedly be harder to approve) if we were in the business of Endangered Ecosystem Protection.
A pipe dream? Impossible? Principles cannot be compromised and the facts do not bend.
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Annimal Posted 7:39 pm
30 Sep 2008
http://annimal.bloggsida.se/diverse/illegal-hunting-of-pr ...
It is also strange that in other countries with wolves such as Russia , Estonia , Romania etc , there's hardly no wolf hate at all. People have also big dogs to protect the livestock.
In Sweden thre's a big wolf hate in rural communities. They blame the urbanites to not understand the issue , and say you wouldn't like to have them in your neighbourhood neither.
Wolves are also good for the environment since they kill moose and the left overs from the cadavers are very suitable food for Arctic foxes , that mostly are an endangered species. For example , in Sweden there are only 120 Arctic foxes.
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