Online Messenger #297

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Last week, in response to relentless pressure applied by Western Watersheds Project and our allies, the Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cancelled the permit for a predator killing “Derby” in central Idaho. Starting on January 2, 2015, up to 500 participants would compete to kill the most wolves, coyotes, and other animals in a competition for cash prizes. Stopping this disgrace on BLM lands was a big victory, but the Derby is still planned for the adjacent National Forest lands and it must be stopped!

Yesterday, we sent a letter to the Forest Service demanding that it halt its tacit approval of this event on the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The Forest Service isn’t requiring the event sponsor to have a permit, despite the fact that it requires special use permits for activities such as weddings and races that don’t entail slaughtering native wildlife!

Today, Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR), ranking member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, sent a letter asking the Chief of the Forest Service Tom Tidwell to reconsider allowing the derby.  With your help, we can let the Forest Service know that the vast majority of citizens do not want this event.

Please, lend your voice and help us pressure the Forest Service into doing the right thing—informing the derby sponsors that they cannot use Forest Service land for the killing contest, period. At the very least, the agency should require a permit application disclosing the likely impact of the contest on forest lands.

Tell Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor Chuck Mark (cmark@fs.fed.us):

• A predator-killing derby is not an appropriate use of public lands.
• The Forest Service’s “multiple use” mission, and the governing Forest Plan, requires management to conserve all wildlife, including carnivores.
• The Forest Service should follow Idaho Fish and Game’s policy to oppose any events that portray hunting in an unethical light, devalue the predator, and are offensive to the public.
• Allowing this event to proceed without a permit is totally unacceptable and undermines the permitting system.
• Wildlife should not be subjected to wanton slaughter on public lands and it is embarrassing that the federal agency hasn’t done more to oppose this event.

Please speak out against this event and spread the word! Together, we can stop it from taking place on our public lands!