How do you take the wild out of a wilderness area? Kill the
carnivores. That's what the U.S. Forest Service has in mind.

The Forest Service is proposing to make it easier to kill key animals
in places they were once safe -- and let an agency with
a checkered past take control over these operations.

They want to use an array of poisons, traps and shooting -- including
aerial gunning -- to wipe out wolves and other carnivores in federally
designated wilderness areas.

Take action now. Tell the U.S. Forest Service to withdraw this
ill-advised proposal. Submit your personalized comments before the
August 7th deadline!

http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=ZHQ1ymXSKrObVKbM-Mn_uA..

Your comments will be most effective if they are personalized. Tell
officials why it is important to you that they do not go forward with
this harmful proposal.

And it's not just wolves -- bears, coyotes, cougars and other
carnivores are at risk.

These creatures play an important role in the ecological balance
of our wilderness areas. They are essential species that keep other
wildlife populations in check by preventing overpopulation and
habitat damage.

The Forest Service proposal would upset the natural balance in the
most remote and natural places we have left -- and Wildlife Services,
the agency that would be put in charge, has a grim track record.
In 2004 alone, Wildlife Services agents killed more than 37,000
animals -- coyotes, wolves, foxes, and bobcats -- from the air.

Help stop this harmful proposal from becoming a reality! Submit your
comments today.

http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=Z8WartkdMniSuBsSa6rGBg..

The proposal allows for the use of the controversial pesticide sodium
cyanide. Baited devices could be used to shoot the highly toxic gas
into a wolf's mouth, causing a horrible death.

Under the proposal, federal agents could also chase down and kill
bears or other carnivores using planes, helicopters, and
all-terrain vehicles -- invading areas once safe for these creatures
with loud, intrusive machines.

Submit your comments today. Tell the Forest Service to drop their
proposal to loosen restrictions on killing our wolves, bears and other
carnivores.

http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=rvHwomJmYIk45VWPUHiblg..

Wilderness areas were meant to be wild and free. According to the 1964
Wilderness Act, these special places should be preserved in their
natural conditions with little or no human influence. But the Forest
Service's plan could fundamentally alter these largely untouched
areas, allowing low-flying airplanes, trucks and all-terrain vehicles
to hunt down populations of wolves, bears and other carnivores.

Write to the U.S. Forest Service today. Tell them to abandon their
proposal to take the wild out of our wilderness areas.

http://action.defenders.org/site/R?i=Ssoq2z643yg9YM_wa4uyDw..

Thank you for all you do to protect our wildlife and wild places.