Wolverine Protection Plan

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Author: Wild Michigan

Started: November 2, 2008, 9:48:08 pm

Target: The Government

Category: Environment

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

Government Denies the Wolverine Protection under ESA
Fish and Wildlife Service defies scientific evidence in refusing to protect the species

Bellingham, WA Tuesday Mar 11, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its decision on whether to grant Endangered Species Act protection to the wolverine. Despite important new evidence that the wolverine is in desperate straits, the agency declared, for the second time, that it will do nothing to assist the rare creature.

Wolverines are threatened by their small and fragmented populations, trapping in Montana and disturbance of its denning areas by snowmobiles and other types of recreation. The rare wolverine exists at extremely low numbers and reproduces very slowly, such that wolverine populations are particularly vulnerable to trapping, especially females. Wolverines are still legally trapped in Montana.

In Washington a couple wolverines have been trapped by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists in the Pasayten Wilderness but are still considered extremely rare.

New scientific evidence also has raised concerns about the effects of global warming on wolverines.

“What we know about wolverines is that females select reproductive den sites only in areas that retain snow until late spring, and due to global warming, there will be far fewer such places in the Cascades,” said Tim Preso of Earthjustice, who has represented environmental groups that have tried for eight years to force the government to enforce and obey the law regarding the wolverine. “The wolverine was in bad shape eight years ago; with global warming upon us, its plight is even more dire now.”