ALERT: Wildlife under assault in California, Northern Rockies, Canada

[Guest guest]

Dixie MahyPresidentSan Francisco Vegetarian SocietyALERT: Wildlife under assault in California, Northern Rockies, Canada Big Wildlife E-News: Issue 13, January 26, 2010 Welcome to Big Wildlife's enews, a regular email update about our work to protect and restore carnivores throughout North America. We will be providing this free communication, along with periodic action alerts, to our members, supporters, and colleagues. If you do not wish to receive these updates, please let us know and we will remove you from our distribution list. Thanks. IN THIS ISSUE: *HELP STOP BEAR HUNTING IN CALIFORNIA *MORE THAN 500 WOLVES KILLED IN NORTHERN ROCKIES LAST YEAR*HELP STOP GARIBALDI AT SQUAMISH SKI RESORT Please note: Big Wildlife depends on supporters like you to continue our work for wildlife. To help us help the animals, please donate to Big Wildlife today! Click here to contribute to Big Wildlife. Please visit our website at www.bigwildlife.org HELP STOP BEAR HUNTING IN CALIFORNIA Please urge the California Fish and Game Commission to ban bear hunting in the state. Deadline for public comments is February 3, 2010 Every year, more than 2,000 bears are legally killed by hunters across California, with the most bears killed in Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Shasta, and Tulare counties. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 black bears are legally hunted each year in the US and Canada, while an unknown number are also illegally poached. To make matters worse, it is legal for hunters to chase bears with packs of hounds. On February 3, the California Fish and Game Commission will consider changes to the state's mammal hunting regulations. In our comments to the Commission, Big Wildlife will urge the state to ban bear hunting across California. We urge you to help end bear hunting in the state. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP STOP THE CALIFORNIA BEAR HUNT Click this link to see how you can help stop bear hunting in California MORE THAN 500 WOLVES KILLED IN NORTHERN ROCKIES LAST YEAR Last year, a record number of wolves were killed in Northern Rockies by hunters and federal and state officials. To read the full Associated Press story go to link at: http://www.trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_15116fb8-c3e2-58af-838b-0aa28a89badd.html WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE WOLVES Please urge President Obama to restore federal endangered species protections to wolves. Such action would prohibit hunting of these majestic animals and provide much needed safeguards for wolves. To contact the White House comment line call: 202-456-1111 To send a comment to the White House go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/ HELP STOP GARIBALDI AT SQUAMISH SKI RESORT DEVELOPMENT Project would destroy critical habitat for grizzly bears, wolves, mountain goats, peregrine falcon, steelhead, and many other species A massive ski resort, Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS), is proposed for Squamish, British Columbia. The resort would include a 25-lift ski resort, two 18-hole golf courses, 500,000 square-feet of commercial space, hotels, 98km of new road, and 6,000 new homes, apartments, and condominiums. The development would fragment and destroy important habitat for wolves, grizzly and black bears, cougars, mountain goats, salmon, and steelhead. WHAT YOU CAN DO Two people will decide whether GAS goes ahead: The BC Minister of Environment, Barry Penner, and the Minister of Tourism Culture and Arts, Kevin Krueger. Please urge them to reject the GAS development. See talking points below. Barry Penner (ph) 250-387-1161 (fx) 1-250-387-5669 env.minister Kevin Krueger (ph) 250-356-6981 (fx) 1-250-356-1195 tca.minister TALKING POINTS – WHY GAS IS A BAD IDEA FOR SQUAMISH The Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) project is a bad idea because it would: *Have devastating impacts to wildlife, including 16 blue-listed and endangered species, steelhead salmon, and related habitat. *Require Squamish residents to pick up the tab for providing services to the development. That means locals would have to pay for new services, including hospital beds, school seats, road maintenance, water, public transportation, policing, and infrastructure. *Undermine area outdoor recreation experiences, such as back-country sports, climbing, camping, hiking and hundreds of kilometers of trails. *Ignore the existing economy benefits of the area. Tens of thousand of annual visitors and locals alike enjoy the backcountry experience the area offers, generating significant income for Squamish each year. *Fly in the face Smart Growth principles that are in keeping with Squamish’s Official Community Plan. GAS would strain community resources, as well as directly compete with local businesses.-- Brian Vincent, Communications Director, Big WildlifePhone: 604-618-1030Email: brian Web: www.bigwildlife.org