Save Idaho's Wolves From Aerial Gunning

Dear Ray, In northern Idaho, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is getting ready to gun down wolves from the air, ostensibly to boost elk numbers. The shooting, which the state requested, could start as soon as the next big storm clears. Please -- speak up now to stop it. Public hunting and trapping in Idaho has already killed 283 wolves since a congressional budget rider took the animals off the endangered species list last spring. Now Wildlife Services plans to kill 50 or more wolves in Idaho's Lolo Zone. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has determined that predation by wolves has played a role in elk losses, but in fact the steepest declines in the elk population began after large fires in the 1980s destroyed their habitat -- before wolves had reached substantial numbers in the state.    Even worse for the wolves, the gunning will likely start after the next big storm, when snow will slow the wolves' escape and make them highly visible targets after they're located by their radio collars. We can't let this happen. Please speak up now to stop this tragic and unnecessary federal slaughter of Idaho's wolves. Click here to find out more and take action. If you have trouble following the link, go to http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9453. Please take action by Feb. 28, 2012. Photo of gray wolves courtesy USFWS. Learn more about gray wolves at our campaign page. Donate now to support our work. Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 710 Tucson, AZ 85702 1-866-357-3349