News from the Center for Biological Diversity
A Big Win for Great Lakes Wolves
A victory for wolves this week: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was wrong when it removed Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves in the western Great Lakes states. This ruling protects more than 3,000 wolves in the region and saves hundreds from killing each year. The decision marks the eighth time — at least — that a federal court has ruled that the Service has wrongly ended gray wolf protections. “The second-highest court in the nation reaffirmed that we must do much more to recover gray wolves before declaring the mission accomplished,” said the Center’s Noah Greenwald. “Wolves are still missing from more than 90 percent of their historic range in the lower 48 states, and both the Endangered Species Act and common sense tell us we can’t ignore that loss.” Read more in the Chicago Tribune.
Trump Flouts the Law to Rush Border-wall Construction
Trump’s Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it’s exempting itself from all laws — including environmental laws — to rush construction of the border wall near San Diego. This waiver would speed construction of replacement walls, roads, 30-foot-high “prototypes,” lighting and other infrastructure without any analysis of environmental impacts on local endangered species — including Quino checkerspot butterflies and tiny gray songbirds called coastal California gnatcatchers.
The Center is suing Trump’s administration over its failure to perform environmental analysis or release information about the border-wall project. “Trump’s wall is a divisive symbol of fear and hatred, and it does real harm to the landscape and border communities,” said Center attorney Brian Segee
The Fight’s Getting Started to Save Yellowstone’s Grizzlies
The road to recovery for Yellowstone’s grizzly bears just got steeper — but the battle to save them is far from over. This week the Trump administration finalized the removal of federal Endangered Species Act protections from grizzlies living in and around Yellowstone National Park — even though grizzlies only occupy less than 5 percent of their historic range, and Yellowstone grizzlies remain isolated. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have now taken over management and have stated they plan to implement trophy-hunting seasons soon.
But the Center, along with conservation and tribal allies, have already told the Fish and Wildlife Service we’ll sue if the agency doesn’t reverse course. Stay tuned for how you can help.
Appeal Filed Against Destructive SoCal Freeway Plan
A $1.7 billion, six-lane freeway project in Southern California would hurt low-income neighborhoods, fragment San Jacinto Valley wildlife preserves, and pollute the air — so the Center and partners have filed a federal challenge. The project site harbors species like burrowing owls, Swainson’s hawks, tricolored blackbirds and Stephens’ kangaroo rats. “Rather than offer 21st-century transit solutions, the feds ignored environmental laws and pushed through this boondoggle, which will hurt imperiled animals and force hundreds of people from their homes,” said the Center’s Aruna Prabhala.
Suit Seeks to Expose Trump’s Collusion With Coal
The Center has sued the Trump administration for not providing public records on closed-door meetings between the U.S. Department of the Interior and fossil-fuel industry executives. “If Trump and Zinke had nothing to hide, they’d comply with our simple call to release meeting records,” said the Center’s Senior Counsel Bill Snape. “Instead the administration continues to plot with fossil-fuel executives in secret, making decisions that hurt public health and affect the future of all Americans.”
|
|
|
|
||
|
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 