Amendment to stop spending for killing wildlife animals

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

There is still time. The vote on the DeFazio-Bass Amendment has been pushed

back. This " stop cattle ranchers welfare " amendment will stop the

government from spending $7 million/yr for killing thousands of innocent

wildlife animals. Please contact both your senator(s) and representatives

and let them know you want this Amendment passed, and you no longer want our

taxpayer money to fund the killing off of our wildlife! This amendment has

failed for the last two years. Now is the time to make a difference!

Please continue to cross post.

Namaste,

Susan McCoy

 

 

http://www.hsus.org/whatnew/defazio05100.html

 

Stop the Use of Taxpayer Money to Kill Wildlife

Tell your representative to vote YES on the DeFazio-Bass-Morella amendment.

 

May 10, 2000

 

The Problem

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program spends millions of

tax dollars to subsidize the killing of more than 90,000 animals each

year-including coyotes, bears, foxes, and mountain lions-on behalf of a

small number of ranchers.

 

Wildlife Services' methods of predator control are shockingly inhumane:

aerial shooting, poisoning, and steel-jaw leghold traps. They are also

indiscriminate, killing animals who may never have jeopardized livestock,

pups and cubs, endangered species, and pets who are attracted to bait

planted by federal agents.

 

Lethal predator control doesn't work. As more predators are killed, those

who survive reproduce with larger litters. Non-lethal methods of predator

control, such as guard animals (dogs and llamas), fencing, and carcass

removal, are cheaper and more effective ways to protect livestock.

 

Taxpayers should not be made to finance wildlife killing to benefit private

ranchers.

 

The Solution

In the House of Representatives, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), along with Reps

Charles Bass (R-NH) and Connie Morella (R-MD), will offer an amendment to

the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. This amendment will cut funding of

lethal predator control for livestock protection but leave millions of

dollars for other, more legitimate programs such as disease control and

prevention of bird/airplane collisions. Senators Bob Smith (R-NH) and

Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will offer a companion amendment in the Senate.

 

What You Can Do

Today, please write, fax, or call your U.S. Representative and urge him or

her to vote YES on the DeFazio-Bass-Morella amendment to the Agriculture

Appropriations Bill. Contact your two U.S. senators and ask them to vote YES

on the Smith-Boxer amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. Say

that you want them to cut funding for Wildlife Services' lethal predator

control.

 

Contact Information

Representatives:

The Honorable ___________ (full name)

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

202-224-3121 (Capitol Switchboard)

 

Senators:

The Honorable __________ (full name)

U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20510

202-224-3121 (Capitol Switchboard)

 

To find out the name and fax number of your U.S. representative or senators,

call the HSUS Government Affairs office at 202 955-3666 or visit

www.vote-smart.org.

 

Or visit a great web site http://www.grassroots.com to find out who your

representatives are. This site also helps you compose letters to your

elected officials.

 

 

 

 

 

http://animalchannel.net/news/pr/060999.html

Last Year this was defeated-

WASHINGTON - (June 9, 1999) The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)

today condemned the vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to maintain

the budget in the Department of Agriculture*s Wildlife Services program.

Despite valiant efforts by Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Charles

Bass (R-NH) in an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2000 Agriculture

Appropriations bill to cut $7 million in predator control, the amendment was

defeated 193 to 230.

 

Currently, Wildlife Services kills more than 90,000 wild animals in 17

western states every year, principally coyotes, mountain lions, black bears

and bobcats. Wildlife Services personnel use steel-jawed leghold traps, neck

snares, poisons and aerial gunning to amass this body count.

 

" It's obvious that the U.S. House of Representatives prefers to represent

the interests of the livestock industry rather than the interests of the

vast majority of their constituents,* said Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice

president at The HSUS. *A recent nationwide survey indicates that 78 percent

of Americans do not want their hard-earned tax dollars used to kill the

public*s wildlife. In voting for this subsidy, the House favored narrow

special interests over the national interest of saving tax dollars and

protecting wildlife. "

 

The HSUS applauds the efforts of Representatives DeFazio and Bass, who last

year introduced a similar amendment to cut $10 million in appropriations for

Wildlife Services. Originally, the amendment passed 229-193. However,

pressure from ranchers and cattlemen forced a re-vote the next day, and

resulted in the defeat of the amendment, 192-232. The amendment to the FY

2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill was supported by The HSUS, the League

of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, Taxpayers for Common Sense and dozens

of other organizations.

 

To see how your representative voted last year see:

http://www.animalchannel.net/programs/government/reps_061099.html

 

 

From last year

Salt Lake Tribune

Wednesday, June 9, 1999

House Backs Funding of Program That Targets Predators

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- The House voted Tuesday to fully fund a program in which

federal officials kill animals -- mainly coyotes -- that prey upon sheep and

other livestock.

Rep. Peter DeFazio tried to cut $7 million from the program, which is

popular with ranchers in the West. The Oregon Democrat argued that the

program is wasteful and ineffective, and that ranchers should have to take

care of their own pest problems.

" The question is: Should federal taxpayers pay for predator-control

services on private ranches -- for profit -- in the western United States? "

DeFazio said on the House floor.

But the House defeated the amendment, 230-193, with supporters arguing

that the program does far more than aid ranchers.

Cutting funds from the $30 million program would increase the threat of

rats spreading the bubonic plague, of mountain lions killing hikers and even

of planes crashing, since program funds eradicate troublesome birds at

airports, supporters said.

" Ask yourself if you could live with an accident occurring at an

airport -- or live with a child dying, who was afflicted with rabies --

because there was not enough money in the budget to support this program, "

said Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas.

Agriculture Department officials in 1997 killed 146,000 animals, and

about 82,000 of the animals were coyotes, according to wildlife-services

program figures. Other animals killed included 31,000 beavers, 7,300

raccoons and 6,800 skunks.

DeFazio and Rep. Charles Bass, R-N.H., offered their amendment to a $61

billion agriculture appropriations bill.