#Wisconsin Wildlife Federation

[wausaupilot]

Wisconsin judge dismisses lawsuit challenging state's new wolf management plan

The lawsuit alleged that Department of Natural Resources policy board members collected comments on the wolf management plan from interest groups it favored even after the public comment period ended.

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by animal welfare advocates seeking to invalidate Wisconsin’s new wolf management plan was dismissed by a judge on Monday. Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke threw out the case that accused Wisconsin wildlife officials of violating the state’s open meetings law and disregarding comments from wolf researchers and…

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #32

August 30-September 6 2024.

President Biden announced $7.3 billion in clean energy investment for rural communities. This marks the largest investment in rural electrification since the New Deal. The money will go to 16 rural electric cooperatives across 23 states Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Together they will be able to generate 10 gigawatts of clean energy, enough to power 5 million households about 20% of America's rural population. This clean energy will reduce greenhouse emissions by 43.7 million tons a year, equivalent to removing more than 10 million cars off the road every year.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic 10th offshore wind project. The latest project approved for the Atlantic coast of Maryland will generate 2,200 megawatts of clean, reliable renewable energy to power 770,000 homes. All together the 10 offshore wind projects approved by the Biden-Harris Administration will generation 15 gigawatts, enough to power 5.25 million homes. This is half way to the Administration's goal of 30 gigawatts of clean offshore wind power by 2030.

President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed at supporting and expanding unions. Called the "Good Jobs EO" the order will direct all federal agencies to take steps to recognize unions, to not interfere with the formation of unions and reach labor agreements on federally supported projects. It also directs agencies to prioritize equal pay and pay transparency, support projects that offer workers benefits like child care, health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits. It will also push workforce development and workplace safety.

The Department of Transportation announced $1 billion to make local roads safer. The money will go to 354 local communities across America to improve roadway safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries. This is part of the National Roadway Safety Strategy launched in 2022, since then traffic fatalities have decreased for 9 straight quarters. Since 2022 the program has supported projects in 1,400 communities effecting 75% of all Americans.

The Department of Energy announced $430 million to support America's aging hydropower. Hydropower currently accounts for nearly 27% of renewable electricity generation in the United States. However many of our dams were built during the New Deal for a national average of 79 years old. The money will go to 293 projects across 33 states. These updates will improve energy generation, workplace safety, and have a positive environmental impact on local fish and wildlife.

The EPA announced $300 million to help support tribal nations, and US territories cut climate pollution and boost green energy. The money will support projects by 33 tribes, and the Island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. EPA Administer Michael S. Regan announced the funds along side Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in Arizona to highlight one of the projects. A project that will bring electricity for the first time to 900 homes on the Hopi Reservation.

The Biden-Harris Administration is investing $179 million in literacy. This investment in the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant is the largest in history. Studies have shown that the 3rd grade is a key moment in a students literacy development, the CLSD is designed to help support states research, develop, and implement evidence-based literacy interventions to help students achieve key literacy milestones.

The US government secured the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua. Nicaragua's dictator President Daniel Ortega has jailed large numbers of citizens since protests against his rule broke out in 2018. In February 2023 the US secured the release of over 200 political prisoners. Human rights orgs have documented torture and sexual abuse in Ortega's prisons.

The Justice Department announced the disruption of a major effort by Russia to interfere with the 2024 US Elections. Russian propaganda network, RT, deployed $10 million to Tenet Media to help spread Russian propaganda and help sway the election in favor of Trump and the Republicans as well as disrupting American society. Tenet Media employs many well known conservative on-line personalities such as Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Lauren Southern, Dave Rubin, Tayler Hansen and Matt Christiansen.

Vice-President Harris outlined her plan for Small Businesses at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Harris wants to expand from $5,000 to $50,000 tax incentives for startup expenses. This would help start 25 million new small business over four years.

[rjzimmerman]

I'm going to invite these scientists to our house and yard. We have dozens and dozens of grackles at our feeders, making their grackle noises and bullying away our other "resident" birds. But in case they're right, here's an excerpt from an Audubon story:

As people have remade the American landscape, they’ve also shaped the fortunes of Common Grackles. The iridescent blackbirds flourished in the grain fields and pastures that European settlers cultivated after cutting down forests in the 18th and 19th centuries. By the 1970s, an estimated 150 million grackles inhabited a vast stretch from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains, and today they are regulars across much of the continent. But the birds are disappearing��and no one knows why. A new tracking project aims to reveal what’s driving the mysterious decline.

Birders were among the first to gather evidence of the species’ troubling trajectory. In winter, grackles join Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and other birds in giant swirling congregations. Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) long tallied roosts of up to tens of millions of birds. But in the past couple of decades, participants have rarely found flocks of more than a few million, says former CBC director Geoff LeBaron. Other blackbirds are in decline, too, but grackles have become noticeably absent from winter roosts.

According to CBC data, Common Grackles have been dropping at a rate of 3 percent per year, which amounts to a roughly 78 percent decline since 1970, says Tim Meehan, a quantitative scientist at Audubon. Meanwhile, federal Breeding Bird Surveys, which take place each summer, have found at least a 50 percent decline over the past half century. These data clearly indicate that there are fewer grackles across the board, Meehan says: “It’s a slam dunk.”

Michael Ward, a University of Illinois biologist, is one of the lead scientists delving into the conundrum. In 2021 he and his colleagues ruled out a hunch that grackles were failing to produce young: 60 percent of chicks in nearly 200 nests that he monitored fledged successfully, a higher rate than most songbirds achieve. Whatever is harming grackles is likely affecting adults, Ward says.

It’s possible the resourceful foragers, which eat everything from grubs to grains to garbage, are exposed to something dangerous in their diet. The researchers suspect insects and corn could be hazardous meals: Both may contain high levels of neonicotinoids—insecticides commonly applied to grains that have been linked to a decline in avian biodiversity in North America and beyond. Ward’s group plans to study what grackles eat on their breeding grounds to help determine how great a risk their food poses.

Meanwhile, the scientists want to better understand the challenges grackles face after leaving their breeding grounds. In addition to stringing up mist nets to snag birds in residential neighborhoods and at roost sites, Ward and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Kelly VanBeek set live traps baited with seed and mealworms at Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s Goose Pond Sanctuary. They outfitted 14 Common Grackles with satellite tags throughout the summer and early fall of 2023 as the birds prepared to depart for their wintering grounds in the Southeast and southern Midwest.

On those journeys, VanBeek says, there are plenty of opportunities for the migrants to encounter other possible chemical culprits like fungicides, which may disrupt birds’ hormones and metabolism and are typically applied in the fall when grackles are on the move. Blackbirds’ penchant for foraging on farmland in large flocks makes them a target for culling as well. Between 1974 and 1992, the federal government killed up to 18 million Common Grackles in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama to reduce damage to agricultural crops. The pace has slowed, but the practice continues: Wildlife Services, a USDA division, killed more than 630,000 Common Grackles over the past decade. That’s on top of birds taken by farmers under FWS permits.

[the-eternal-quest-for-balance]

It's called entrapment. Which is what January 6th was. The Federal Government creating a situation, labeling it as something it wasn't, the prosecuting people for it.

Randy Weaver is an example, The Bundy's, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge where they murdered LaVoy, the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot, hundreds of other examples are out there as well.

People however, are getting a lot smarter and the Alphabet asswipes aren't. Most can spot a Fed a mile away these days. Some have always been able to smell them.

[higherlearningtvshow]

Community Resources

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

 

Workforce Pathways for Youth

The Workforce Pathways for Youth (WPY) program expands job training and workforce activities for youth, including soft-skill development, career exploration, job readiness and certification, summer jobs, year-round job opportunities and apprenticeships in out-of-school time organizations nationwide. The program allows out-of-school time organizations to partner with local workforce boards and youth-serving organizations, bridging the gap between their existing activities and the need to expose youth to career-related services to better prepare them to enter the workforce. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than December 3, 2024 by 11:59 pm ET.LEARN MORE

Clean Energy Careers For All (CEC4A)

The Clean Energy Careers for All (CEC4A) opportunity will support workforce development programming that broadens participation and engages individuals from many different groups within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in ways that promote interest in careers that support the nation’s transition to clean energy. Eligible participants are non-profit 501(c)(3) or non-lobbying 501(c)(6) educational organizations, including engineering, scientific, and technical societies that can reach across various levels of future workforce populations. CEC4A will provide up to 10 awards of ~$300,000 each. Deadline to submit is December 13, 2024 by 5:00pm ET.LEARN MORE

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for Political Subdivisions of States and Territories

This grant will assist local waste management authorities by supporting improvements to local post-consumer materials management, including municipal recycling programs, and assist local waste management authorities in improving local waste management systems. Application packages must be submitted electronically to the EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than December 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET to be considered for funding. LEARN MORE

Clean School Bus Program Rebates

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 authorizes the EPA to offer rebates to replace existing school buses with clean, zero-emission models. The Law provides $5 billion over five years to replace existing school buses with clean school buses and zero-emission school buses. The most recent funding opportunity is the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebates, which closes January 9, 2025.LEARN MORE

Community Forest Program

The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program) of the Forest Service offers a unique opportunity for communities to acquire and conserve forests that provide public access and recreational opportunities, protect vital water supplies and wildlife habitat, serve as demonstration sites for private forest landowners, and provide economic benefits from timber and non-timber products.

The Forest Service releases an annual request for applications for the Community Forest Program (CFP). The Request for Applications for Fiscal Year 2025 is now available on Grants.gov (Opportunity Number: USDA-FS-2025-CFP). Applications are due to State Foresters or equivalent Tribal officials by January 13, 2025. Applications are encouraged from across the country. If you are interested in applying, contact your CFP Regional Contact. For complete information on the program and application process, see the Final Rule.

LEARN MORE

 

COMING SOON!

The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program has selected Grantmakers who will issue subgrants to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities in Region 5 of the EPA, which includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 35 federally recognized tribal nations.

Subgrants through the Grantmakers are expected to become available by Fall 2024. More information will be available soon.

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

Environmental health

Air, soil, and water quality

Healthy homes

Access to healthy food

Stormwater and green infrastructure

Emergency preparedness

Disaster resilience

Environmental job training

Eligible applicants include:

Federally and State-recognized tribal governments

Native American and Indigenous organizations

Nonprofit organizations

Local governments

Institutions of higher education

Grants will be awarded to those who are eligible in the following three tiers:

Tier 1 - Assessment and Engagement: Up to $150,000

Tier 2 - Community Education and Planning: Up to $250,000

Tier 3 - Project Development and Implementation: Up to $350,000

How you can prepare:

Apply for a state nonprofit/charitable status if you are not a 501(c)(3)

Apply for your unique Entity ID (UEI) through sam.gov

Prepare your accounting and record-keeping systems

Plan time to develop your program plan and budget

Stay tuned to our announcements to learn when applications will open

EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program was created by the Biden-Harris Administration as part of the Investing in America Agenda. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Administration committed $600 million over three years to the program, the largest investment in climate action in history.LEARN MORE

 

Browse the BIG Justice TCTAC List of Open Grants

Check out the BIG Justice TCTAC list of open grants, organized by department and program name, making it easy to select the most applicable opportunity for you. You'll find links to these grant opportunities, along with funding amounts and application deadlines.VIEW ALL OPEN GRANTS

 

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Air Quality and Public Health Impacts of Low-Carbon Technology Production and Use: Metals and Ammonia

December 2, 2024 | 3:30 PM CT

Location: 1115 Wisconsin Energy Institute (and Online)

This talk will explore the environmental and health implications of producing metals for solar and wind energy, as well as the use of ammonia in shipping. Speaker Sagar Rathod (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences) will discuss the equity and justice considerations surrounding these transitions, particularly those who bear the air-quality burden. Registration is required.

Lead Reduction Updates and Lead Service Line Identification and Replacement

Small Drinking Water Systems Webinar Series

December 3, 2024 | 1:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Upgrading the Grid to Meet Clean Energy Goals Forward in Energy Forum

December 3, 2024 - 4:30pm CT



Hybrid: Wisconsin Energy Institute, 1552 University Ave., (Room 1115) Madison, WI 53726 and via Zoom Webinar

To meet growing demand for electricity and maximize use of renewable energy, today’s power grid will need to be expanded and upgraded. Options include building new power lines, new grid-enhancing technologies, and management strategies to coordinate how electricity moves around and when customers use it. Attend this event to hear from a panel of experts as they explore the possibilities and the barriers of these options and to what extent they can address societal goals for clean, affordable, and reliable power.

A&WMA Environmental Justice Conference

December 4 - December 5, 2024 | 8:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare

5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

Air & Waste Management Association is hosting a conference titled Environmental Justice: Policy, Practice, and Progress. With communities, governments, and businesses across the country dealing with environmental equality issues, the need for action and collaboration has never been more critical. This conference will address the latest scientific, policy, regulatory, communications, and legal issues related to environmental justice (EJ), and allow for an open forum for discussions to foster understanding, partnership, and solutions in these changing times. 

The Chicago regional area is at the forefront of research and solutions in EJ and this conference will feature local as well as national experts to share solutions and opportunities for all communities, providing the knowledge, resources, and support needed for implementation. 

Check out the full program and speaker details at this link.

EPA Grants Webinar Series for Grant Applicants and Recipients

EPA is hosting a series of three webinars for assistance agreement (grant) applicants and recipients. During each webinar, EPA staff will review key aspects of EPA’s grants processes and requirements, and you will have the opportunity to submit questions. You must register in advance for each webinar.

Participant Support Costs

December 3, 2024, 1:00-2:00 pm ET

2024 Revisions to 2 CFR Part 200 Regulations – Impacts to Tribes as Federal Award Recipients

December 4, 2024, 3:00-4:00 pm ET

2 CFR Updates to the Appendix, NOFOs, and Competition 

KidWind Coaches' Virtual Happy Hour

Join Wisconsin KidWind Organizers and teachers across the state to chat and share ideas for incorporating renewable energy into the classroom. KidWind advisors will be on hand to answer your questions - from engineering and design tips to questions about the Challenge registration process and what to expect on Challenge Day.

No formal agenda: come for the whole hour or drop in for a portion. 



Register for one or all of the 24-25 season Zoom happy hours!

Friday, Dec 13, 2024, 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Friday, Jan 17, 2024, 3:00 - 4:15 pm

2024 OEC Annual Meeting

[ivankahasbeentreatedsounfairly]

By Carl Hulse

Former President Donald J. Trump has big policy plans should he be re-elected, including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and a supercharged crackdown against new migrants, tax breaks on tips and property taxes, expanded oil drilling on federal lands and the elimination of the Education Department.

A unified Republican government — the coveted trifecta of the Senate, House and White House — would make those goals easier to reach and help neutralize Democrats, who would no doubt try to stand in the way. And it would give Mr. Trump a free hand to install more conservative federal judges, including in the event of another vacancy on the already right-leaning Supreme Court, which has already granted him broad immunity from prosecution.

It is a lineup Republicans are counting on.

“We are going to grow the Republican majority in the House; we are going to take back the Senate and send Donald Trump back to the White House,” Speaker Mike Johnson assured the MAGA crowd on Sunday night at Mr. Trump’s invective-filled Madison Square Garden rally in New York.

That outcome is no sure thing, but it is a real possibility given the closeness of the battle for the House, the Republican edge in the fight for the Senate and Mr. Trump’s neck-and-neck race with Vice President Kamala Harris. It would open the door to a Republican push on legislation after two years of divided government has kept Congress focused on the basics of keeping federal agencies open and aid flowing to Ukraine.

After his election in 2016, Mr. Trump also had unified control of government for two years. But his lack of experience, coupled with the resistance of some top Republicans — including Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader — limited his ability to get what he wanted out of Congress, particularly after an extended push to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed spectacularly.

This time, Republicans would be much better prepared to take advantage of their consolidated power.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are readying a push to renew the 2017 tax cuts, the most significant legislative achievement of the first Trump administration. Unlike other major legislation, a Democratic minority in the Senate could not thwart it with a filibuster, since Republicans would almost certainly use a special process known as budget reconciliation that requires only a simple majority to approve budget and tax changes.

blob:https://www.tumblr.com/4644b4b6-ad2a-4c5d-883d-39bef6d80f9e

Mr. Trump has promised to not only extend but also expand his tax cuts by tacking on a variety of popular new breaks such as eliminating taxes on tips, making car loan interest deductible and restoring a state and local property tax deduction sought by lawmakers representing states with high property values.

Those ideas would add to the already enormous cost of the tax bill and make approval more difficult. But if there is a single issue that unites Republicans across the spectrum, it is cutting taxes, and they would be in position to do so.

Appearing this week in Pennsylvania, Mr. Johnson also promised “massive reform” to the Affordable Care Act despite the multiple failures of the past and the political dangers involved. “Health care reform’s going to be a big part of the agenda,” Mr. Johnson said in a campaign appearance captured on video by NBC News. He also vowed an aggressive 100-day agenda and said Republicans intended to “take a blowtorch to the regulatory state.”

Republicans have also made clear that they want to expand domestic oil and gas production, including reopening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling after it was banned there by the Biden administration. They see revenues from increased leasing and production as a way to offset the costs of the tax cuts and avoid being criticized for adding to an already soaring federal debt.

And with the Senate majority, Mr. Trump could resume packing the federal judiciary with conservatives, offsetting the more than 200 judicial nominees named by President Biden.

Republicans on Capitol Hill will also want to join Mr. Trump to push some of their culture war social issues, such as rolling back transgender rights, eliminating diversity initiatives in the military and other institutions, and clamping controls on the Justice Department and F.B.I.

On some of the bigger issues such as immigration, Republicans in Congress would be responsible for finding a way to pay for what is likely to be a very expensive effort to round up and deport millions of immigrants deemed to be in the United States unlawfully.

As for the significant tariffs on foreign goods he says he intends to impose, Mr. Trump said that he would like for Congress to join him but that he would exert executive authority to put the tariffs in place on his own if necessary.

“I don’t need Congress, but they’ll approve it,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign event in Pennsylvania last month. “I’ll have the right to impose them myself if they don’t.”

On that front, Mr. Trump has indicated that if elected, he would be much more inclined to plunge ahead with his chief initiatives on his own if Congress resists, given the frustrations of his first term. Congressional Republicans are unlikely to put up much of a protest if he takes that approach.

That may be one of the major advantages for Mr. Trump of a Republican Congress: If Democrats don’t have a majority in either the House or Senate, they have limited power to fight back. Without committee chairmanships, they would not be able to convene congressional hearings, initiate investigations, pass legislation in an attempt to rein him in or — as they did in 2019 and 2021 — impeach him.

Still, should Republicans gain full control of government, fulfilling some aspects of Mr. Trump’s wish list could prove very difficult. The majorities won by either party are almost certain to be very narrow, providing little room for defections. It is the same dynamic that has handcuffed House Republicans the past two years.

As a result, the most extreme ideas, such as ending the federal income tax or abolishing federal agencies wholesale, are unlikely to go very far. Others have tried in the past, only to discover that all federal agencies have some constituency in both parties.

Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and the few other more centrist Republicans will also have to be accommodated as much as the far right if legislation is to pass. At the same time, it would take only one or two Republican opponents to doom executive branch and judicial nominees if they are considered too extreme or unacceptable for other reasons — though Republicans have shied away from defying the president on his personnel choices, a move that could provoke a fierce backlash from Mr. Trump.

Ms. Collins is set to be the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee if Republicans win control, giving her significant influence on spending. Republicans would quickly confront the need to pass a dozen spending bills to fund the government. Many on the far right refuse to vote for spending bills without deep cuts or policy dictates that others in the party consider politically risky. Tight margins would make it hard for the G.O.P. to pass those on their own.

Those margins also mean that even in a Republican Senate, the majority would be well short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, providing Democrats some leverage in shaping legislation. During his first term, Mr. Trump showed an early willingness to try to negotiate with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, who was minority leader. He had flattering things to say about Mr. Schumer at a recent political dinner in New York.

If the filibuster proves a significant impediment, Mr. Trump is likely to demand that Senate Republicans move to jettison it as he occasionally did in his first term. Mr. McConnell resisted such demands, and the current front-runners to replace him — Senators John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota — say they have no intention of eliminating the filibuster. But the pressure from the party’s core hard-right supporters to do so could become overwhelming.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/us/republican-congress-trump-johnson.html

[plethoraworldatlas]

Overriding the opposition of more than 100 environmental groups, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that would strip gray wolves in the Lower 48 states of their protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The so-called Trust the Science Act, which was introduced by far-right election denier Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), passed by a narrow 209-205 margin. It would reimpose a Trump administration decision to delist gray wolves that was later overturned in federal court.

"This move by extremists in Congress to push forward an anti-wolf, anti-science bill is irresponsible and emboldens cruelty towards gray wolves," said Endangered Species Coalition executive director Susan Holmes.

There were once around 2 million gray wolves in North America, but they were nearly hunted to extinction with government support. After the federal government began to protect them in the 1960s, their numbers rebounded to around 6,000, but they only roam through less than 10% of their historic range in the lower 48 states.

Scientists have discovered that wolves are very beneficial for the ecosystems they inhabit; their reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park increased the park's biodiversity by controlling elk and deer that had overgrazed trees, allowing willows and aspens to thrive and attract the song birds and beavers that depend on them.

"The inappropriately named 'Trust the Science Act' not only puts endangered gray wolves at risk for extinction, but it completely undermines the purpose of the Endangered Species Act," Raena Garcia, senior fossil fuels and lands campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. "The ESA is essential environmental legislation that needs to be strengthened, not weakened. As a keystone species that plays a vital role in preserving biodiversity, the livelihood of gray wolves can't be dictated by industry-driven politicians."

The Endangered Species Act Coalition and Friends of the Earth Action were two of the more than 100 groups that sent a letter to representatives on Monday urging them to oppose the bill. In the letter, they pointed out that the Trump-era ruling it is based on was overturned because of its faulty science: It based its determination for national wolves on only two populations, it did not define what it meant by a "significant" portion of the species' range, it did not consider what it means for gray wolves to have lost so much of their historic range, and it did not account for the fact that West Coast wolves and northern Rocky Mountain wolves have different ancestries. Despite these flaws with the decision, the bill would also prohibit courts from weighing in a second time.

"The 'Trust the Science Act' undermines the integrity of the ESA by forcing the reinstatement of the Trump administration's scientifically indefensible delisting rule and precluding judicial review, undermining the rule of law that holds government officials accountable in the courts," the conservation groups wrote.

Environmental organizations also argue that the bill would put wolves at even greater risk from human violence. In Wyoming, where wolves are delisted, a man recently injured a young wolf and showed it off at a local bar before killing it. When wolves were delisted during the Trump administration, a hunt reestablished in Wisconsin killed off up to a third of the state's wolves.

"The recent torture and killing of a young gray wolf in Wyoming shows how critical the Endangered Species Act protections are for the survival of this species core to our country's natural heritage," Holmes said.

[fatehbaz]

Mass killing of wolves, multiple US states, spring and summer 2021.

Legalization of snares, bait, artificial night lighting assistance, unlimited number of wolves killed under one hunting license, and the killing of newborn pups, etc. Wisconsin hunters killed at least 216 wolves (of the state’s total 1,050-ish) in less than 60 hours after wolves lost legal protections. Then, Idaho’s governor signed a bill allowing the killing of up to 90% of the state’s wolves, and legalized the killing of newborn pups, with the Idaho Cattle Association supporting the bill “because it allows the free-market system to play a role in killing wolves.” Montana moved to allow unlimited killing of wolves under a single individual hunting license. Michigan and Minnesota are considering wolf hunts.

-------

Excerpt:

In April, Montana’s SB 314 set a goal of reducing the 800 to 1,200 wolves in the state to just 15 breeding pairs. The bill authorizes the unlimited take of wolves under one license, use of bait, and hunting on private lands even at night using artificial light. Additional legislation allows for the use of snares, extends the trapping season by a month, and establishes a scheme for reimbursement of costs associated with hunting wolves -- essentially legalizing bounty hunting.

Source: Richard Pallardy. “Montana and Idaho Have Legalized Killing Wolves on a Massive Scale.” Gizmodo. 5 July 2021.

-------

Excerpt:

As many as one-third of Wisconsin’s gray wolves probably died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a study published on Monday [5 July 2021]. [...] They [biologists; researchers] say the deaths reduced the statewide wolf total to between 695 and 751, down from at least 1,034 in spring 2020. [...] Wildlife managers in Michigan and Minnesota are also considering wolf hunts. In some western states, Republ!can legislators are pushing aggressive methods such as night-time hunts, bounty-like payments and allowing shooting from motorized parachutes, ATVs or snow machines any time of year.

Source: Associated Press. “’Killing spree’: Wisconsin’s wolf population plunges after protections removed, study finds.” As republished by The Guardian. 5 July 2021.

-------

Excerpt:

Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed into law a measure that could lead to killing 90% of the state’s wolves in a move that was backed by hunters and the state’s powerful ranching sector but heavily criticized by environmental advocates. [...] The primary change allows the state to hire private contractors to kill wolves and provides more money for state officials to hire the contractors. The law also expands the way wolves can be hunted and killed. Those methods include hunting, trapping and snaring an unlimited number of wolves on a single hunting tag, using night-vision equipment, chasing down wolves on snowmobiles and ATVs and shooting them from helicopters. Also under the new law, newborn pups can be killed if they are found on private land. [...] The Idaho Cattle Association representing ranchers said it supports the measure because it allows the free-market system to play a role in killing wolves. [Governor] Little’s family has a long history of sheep ranching in Idaho.

Source: Keith Ridler. “Bill to kill up to 90% of Idaho wolves signed by governor.” AP News. 7 May 2021.

-------

Excerpt:

At least 216 wolves were killed in less than 60 hours, exceeding the state quota of 119 and prompting Wisconsin to end what was meant to be a one-week hunt four days early, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Before the hunt, state officials estimated there were about 1,200 gray wolves in the state. [...] The state had set a quota of 200 wolves, with 119 for hunters who applied for permits with the department and 81 set aside to the Ojibwe Tribes under their treaty rights. But the tribes consider wolves to be sacred and made a deliberate decision not to hunt them, said Dylan Jennings, a spokesman for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, which represents the tribes. The tribes saw their allocation as a way to conserve a large number of the wolves -- not to give hunters more animals to kill, he said.

Source: AP News. “Wisconsin hunters kill over 200 wolves in less than 3 days after removal from Endangered Species Act.” Republished at Chicago Tribune. 3 March 2021.

[mothmyspace]

this isn't something i would normally post obviously but i just wanted to take the little platform i have on this blog to talk about something very important.

in october 2020, the trump administration lifted protections on the gray wolf. they claimed that the wolf population had "bounced back", when in reality, just around 3,000 wolves currently live in the wild across north america. they removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list, allowing the states to create their own policies regarding hunting them. a few states, namely montana, idaho, and wisconsin even encourage the killing of wolves (up to as much as 90% of the populations); they allow cruel tactics such as wire snares, using dogs and vehicles to chase down wolves until they tire, and even behavior as vile as stomping on pups in their dens.

for example, in wisconsin, 216 wolves were confirmed dead in the first 60 hours of the hunting season. they wiped out 20-33% of the population in 3 days. THREE DAYS. this percentage was their entire allotted quota. they approved an additional quota of 300 more wolves to be hunted. indigenous people fought back against this decision as it violated federal agreements- to no avail.

in idaho, the foundation for wildlife management uses state funds to pay out bounties to people who have killed wolves.

in montana, the state government has sanctioned killing up to 85% of the wolf population starting in fall 2021. new laws allow for the use of choke-hold snares and extends hunting further into the breeding season. montana governor gianforte personally slaughtered a wolf at yellowstone national park.

several politicians in the aforementioned states even vouch for year-round wolf hunting seasons and giving out bounties, and encourage the cruel methods i previously spoke about.

this sheer lack of respect for life is disgusting, but it isn't too late to save the wolves.

donate. spread awareness. take action.

i created a gofundme for the wolf conservation center. here is the link to the fundraiser, and here's some info on the wcc, gathered from nywolf.org. if you'd feel more comfortable, you can donate directly to them on their website.

"The Wolf Conservation Center teaches people about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future."

created by hélène grimmaud in 1999, the wolf conservation center is a not-for-profit environmental educational organization. they aim to protect and preserve wolves through education, advocacy, and participation in federal recovery and release programs. they emphasize the protection of the mexican red wolf and the gray wolf.

you can also check out relistwolves.org for more information regarding the new hunting laws and how else you can help out. i wanted to create a fundraiser for them too but couldn't figure out where to donate- i'll update this post when i get more information.

if you made it all the way through this post, please donate if you can. if you can't, please like and share this post, tell your family, tell your friends, tell your coworkers. spread the word. if we don't speak up for them, who will?

[uwmspeccoll]

A Golden Eagle Feathursday

In the late 1960s, Wisconsin wildlife biologist Frances Hamerstom (1907-1998) began training and rehabilitating two Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), Chrys and Nancy. From her field notes, Hamerstrom composed this accessible narrative of her experience, An Eagle to the Sky, published by the Iowa State University Press in 1970. At the time, young artist Deann De La Ronde was living with Hamerstrom and her naturalist husband Fred Hamerstrom to observe their activities and the wildlife they worked with, and provided these pen and ink drawings for the publication. De La Ronde has since established herself as a professional wildlife artist. The jacket painting of Frances Hamerstrom with Nancy is by the noted wildlife painter Francis Golden.

Originally from Boston, Frances Hamerstrom studied with Paul Errington at Iowa State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree, and conducted her graduate work at the University of Wisconsin with the famous Aldo Leopold. Both Hamerstroms went to work as biologists for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where Frances worked for 23 years. They both developed an expertise in the conservation of the endangered prairie chicken and are credited by naturalists for saving the species from expiration in Wisconsin. For their efforts, the Hamerstroms were awarded he National Wildlife Federation Award for Distinguished Service to Conservation in the same year this book was published. A prolific writer, Frances Hamerstrom was also a licensed falconer, and developed an expertise in birds of prey, publishing Birds of Prey in Wisconsin in 1972.

Our copy of An Eagle to the Sky is a donation of one of our principal benefactors John S. Best, also active in conservation issues, and this volume is a signed presentation copy to Best form the author.

View other posts on the work of Frances Hamerstrom.

View more Feathursday posts.

[sassyfrassboss]

Pepsi Co board of directors -

In addition to being a member of the PepsiCo Board of Directors, Ramon Laguarta also currently serves as a director of Visa Inc.

Segun Agbaje also currently serves as a director of MasterCard Advisory Board Middle East and Africa.

SHONA L. BROWN served as a Senior Advisor to Google Inc. Dr. Brown served as Senior Vice President of Google.org, Google Inc.’s philanthropic arm, from 2011 to 2012. Dr. Brown served as Google Inc.’s Senior Vice President, Business Operations from 2006 to 2011 and Vice President, Business Operations from 2003 through 2006, leading internal business operations and people operations in both roles. Dr. Brown also currently serves on the boards of Atlassian Corporation plc, an enterprise software company, DoorDash Inc., an on-demand prepared food delivery service, and several non-profit organizations (including Code for America, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation).

CESAR CONDE has served as named Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, part of a global media and entertainment company, since 2020. In this role, Mr. Conde has oversight of NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC, including editorial and business operations for the television and digital properties. Mr. Conde also currently serves on the boards of Walmart Inc. and several non-profit organizations, including the Paley Center for Media and The Aspen Institute.

Edith W. Cooper spent over two decades of her career with The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Global Head, Human Capital Management from 2011 to 2017 and Managing Director and Global Head, Human Capital Management from 2008 to 2011.

DINA DUBLON served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at JPMorgan Chase & Co., a leading global financial services company, from 1998 until her retirement in 2004.

MICHELLE GASS has served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of Kohl’s Corporation, a leading omnichannel retailer, since 2018. Prior to joining Kohl’s, Ms. Gass served in a variety of management positions with Starbucks Corporation from 1996 to 2013, including most recently as President, Starbucks EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) from 2011 to 2013; President, Seattle’s Best Coffee; Executive Vice President, Global Marketing and Category; and various leadership roles in other brand, marketing, product management and strategy functions. Prior to Starbucks, Ms. Gass was with The Procter & Gamble Company. Ms. Gass currently serves on the boards of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the National Retail Federation, and Children’s Wisconsin.

SIR DAVE LEWIS served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Tesco PLC, a multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer, from 2014 until 2020. Sir Dave currently serves as Chairman of Xlinks and Non-Executive Chair Designate for GlaxoSmithKline plc's new consumer healthcare company. Sir Dave also serves on the boards of several non-profit and charitable organizations, including as Chair of World Wildlife Fund – UK and as a trustee of Leverhulme Trust, a UK charitable foundation. He was also chair of Champions 12.3, a UN program seeking to add momentum to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Target 12.3 by 2030.

I swear if she does a Pepsi commercial to thank them for the Doritos I will die.

[wausaupilot]

Wisconsin has a tool to combat disease endangering oaks

By John Davis The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has developed a tool to slow the spread of oak wilt, a fungal disease killing thousands of trees each year. Oaks, a keystone species in Wisconsin, are most susceptible to infection and to spreading the disease when trees or branches have been cut or damaged. The DNR’s satellite mapping system tells forest owners when it’s the safest…

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

A recent oil spill in Wisconsin is exacerbating already tense relationships between state officials and several groups that are fighting to stop a controversial pipeline project from moving forward.

For years, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, along with several environmental groups, have been fighting to stop Enbridge Energy from replacing 41 miles of its Line 5 pipeline that runs through northern Wisconsin. The groups say the project will endanger wildlife and sensitive wetlands used by tribal members.

Wisconsin officials approved two key permits for that project last month following a lengthy environmental review that concluded the Line 5 project could be safely constructed and maintained. But opponents are calling that decision a mistake, pointing to an oil spill at a separate Enbridge pipeline in the state that was reported just days before the Line 5 permit approvals.

On Nov. 11, an Enbridge technician discovered a valve failure that resulted in the release of nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil from the company’s Line 6 pipeline in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, west of Milwaukee, according to a federal accident report released last week. In the report, investigators noted that the pipeline “was likely leaking for an extended period of time,” and that the employee found the leak during a routine check—indications that Enbridge didn’t immediately notice the problem. The report also said the spill did not result in any injuries or deaths, and that the oil contaminated soil but not groundwater.

Opponents of the Line 5 project say the Line 6 spill, as well as how it was handled, has further eroded their trust in state regulators. Some also criticized the DNR for not making information about the spill immediately available to the public. 

“The very same week that DNR issued permits for Line 5 based on its conclusion that the risk for a spill would be ‘low,’ DNR was investigating a significant oil leak on another Enbridge pipeline,” Tony Wilkin Gibart, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, said in a statement. “The faulty segment on Line 6 in Jefferson County has a leak detection system, but that system failed to even detect the leak.”

The spill is Enbridge’s worst in Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, surpassing a 2012 incident that spilled 50,000 gallons in Adams County. But Robert Blanchard, chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, said he didn’t learn about the incident until last week. He called it “a red flag” that authorities didn’t publicly release details of the leak until a month after Enbridge reported finding it.

[saltandburnsis]

dead in the water, pt. 1

Characters: Reader, Dean, Sam

Age: 20

Warnings: drowning, death mention

Word Count: 1,794

Summary: After another disagreement with Sam about how the trio is handling John’s disappearance, the Winchesters set out to Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin to investigate the drownings.

A/N: just so i don’t disappear for a while without a word, i’m going to try to remain consistent-ish with my posts, but my grandparents both have COVID and i’m not super motivated right now. if things get worse, i probably won’t be on for a bit. please bear with me through it. as always, dialogue taken directly from the episode is in italics.

~ ~ ~ ~

You sat beside Dean at the counter of the small diner, looking through a newspaper while he read another. Your waitress walked over and stopped in front of Dean, smiling at him. She leaned in close to him and smiled.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked. You circled an obituary a few times, shaking your head.

“Just the check, please,” you replied without looking up at her. Sam walked over and took his seat on the other side of Dean while the waitress walked away. Dean hung his head then looked over at you.

“You know, Y/N, we are allowed to have fun once in a while.” He pointed over at the waitress. “That’s fun.” You only rolled your eyes in response.

“Here. Take a look at this. I think I got one.” you pushed the paper towards him. He took it and placed it between him and Sam. “Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week, Sophie Carlton, 18, walks into the lake, doesn’t walk out. Authorities dragged the water—nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found, either. They had a funeral two days ago.”

“A funeral?” Sam asked, looking up from the paper. His disbelief was clear.

“Yeah. They buried an empty coffin for closure or whatever,” you replied with a shrug.

“Closure? What closure? People don’t just disappear. Other people just stop looking for them.” Dean looked over at you then turned the stool to fully face Sam.

“Something you want to say to us?”

“The trail for Dad—it’s getting closer every day.”

“Exactly. So, what are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Something. Anything.”

“You know what? I’m sick of this attitude. You don’t think me and Y/N want to find Dad as much as you do?”

“Yeah, I know you do. It’s just-” Dean continued to talk over him.

“Me and Y/N are the ones that have been with him every single day for the past two years while you’ve been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we’re going to kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?” Sam didn’t reply. Instead, the two of them stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. You rolled your eyes and stood up.

“I’ll be in the car when you two are finished,” you said.

“Y/N-” Sam started, but you cut him off.

“No. I’m sick and tired of this. Dean’s right, you haven’t been here. This is how we do things. Even you just said you don’t know what we should do. God, if you want to do things your own way, just shut up and go. As soon as this is over, you’re going to leave anyway.” You turned to look at Dean. “This is exactly what I warned you about.” You looked between the two of them once more, shook your head, and walked out. Dean sighed and straightened up in his seat, piling the papers together. Sam cleared his throat.

“Alright. Lake Manitoc. Hey, how far?”

~ ~ ~ ~

You followed Sam and Dean up to the door, standing behind them. You smoothed out your jacket and readied your badge while Dean knocked on the door. A man opened the door almost immediately.

“Will Carlton?” Dean asked. Will nodded.

“Yeah. That’s right.” You held up your badge at the same time Sam and Dean lifted theirs.

“I’m Agent Ford. These are Agents Hamill and…Fisher. We’re with the U.S. Wildlife Service.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Will led the three of you outside. His father sat out on a bench on their dock, and Will watched him for a few seconds before turning back to the three of you.“She was about a hundred yards out. That’s where she got dragged down.”

“And you’re sure she didn’t just drown?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She’s as safe out there as in her own bathtub.”

“So, no splashing, no signs of distress?” Sam asked.

“No. That’s what I’m telling you.” Will replied.

“Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?” You were the one to speak this time.

“No. Again, she was really far out there.”

“You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?” you followed up.

“No, never. Why? Why? What do you think is out there?” Will’s eyes met each of yours, begging for an answer.

“We’ll let you know as soon as we do,” Dean answered. With that, he turned around and walked back to the car. You began to follow but stopped and looked back when Sam remained planted in his position.

“What about your father? Can we talk to him?” Sam asked. His eyes never left the older man’s shape. Will sighed and glanced back at his father.

“Look, if you don’t mind, I mean, he didn’t see anything, and he’s kind of been through a lot.”

“We understand.” Sam nodded. He finally turned away and followed you back to the car.

~ ~ ~ ~

“Now, I’m sorry, but why does the wildlife service care about an accidental drowning?” Jake asked, opening the gate on the side of the desk to let the three of you in.

“You sure it’s accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister.” Sam spoke, the three of you following Jake into his office.

“Like what?” His annoyance was already made clear in his tone. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk as he walked further into the room.“Here. Sit, please.” You pulled a chair over and sat beside Sam.“There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There’s nothing even big enough to pull down a person unless it was the Loch Ness Monster.”

“Yeah, right,” Dean said. You leaned forward in your chair slightly to exchange a look with him before sitting back and turning your attention back to Jake.

“Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks,” Jake continued, finally sitting down. “Still, we dragged the entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep just to be sure, and there was nothing down there.”

“That’s weird, though. I mean, that’s the third missing body this year,” you said, narrowing your eyes slightly.

“I know.” Jake’s voice was softer now, sorrowful. “These are people from my town. These are people I care about.”

“I know” Dean replied.

“Anyway…” Jake sighed, throwing his hands up as he leaned back in his chair..“All this, it won’t be a problem much longer.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked. Jake looked at him quizzically.

“Well, the dam, of course.”

“Of course.” Dean looked over at you and Sam with widened eyes before continuing. “The dam. It’s, uh, it sprung a leak.”

“It’s falling apart. And the Feds won’t give us the grant to repair it. So they’ve opened the spillway.” Jake moved in his seat, resting his arms on the desk while he eyed Dean. “In another six months, there won’t be much of a lake. There won’t be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that.” He looked at the three of you, suspicion lighting up his eyes.

“Exactly,” you nodded, trying to save face any way you could. Before anything more could be said, a woman entered the room.

“Sorry, am I interrupting? I can come back later,” she said, looking at Jake.

“Agents, this is my daughter,” Jake introduced as the four of you stood. Dean walked over and held out his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dean,” he smirked.

“Angela Bar. Hi,” she replied, shaking his hand.

“Hi.” Dean’s eyes never left hers, that is until Jake spoke up.

“They’re from the Wildlife Service about the lake,” Jake explained, interrupting your brother’s flirting.

“Oh,” Angela said. Her voice was barely audible. A young boy stepped out from behind Angela.

“Oh, hey there. What’s your name?” Dean asked him. The boy kept his gaze on the floor, then turned and walked out of the room. Angela looked at the four of you apologetically before following the boy.

“His name is Lucas,” said Jake. Through the doorway, you watched Angela help Lucas pick some crayons out of the box.

“Is he okay?” you asked, glancing back at Jake.

“My grandson’s been through a lot. We all have,” he sighed. With that, he walked around his desk and over to the door.“Well, if there’s anything else I can do for you, please let me know.”

“Thanks,” Sam said as you all filed out of the office.

“Hey, you know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?” Dean looked to Angela.

“Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner. It’s two blocks up,” she replied with a smile. You and Sam turned to leave but stopped when Dean spoke again.

“Two…would you mind showing us?” he asked. You looked at Sam and rolled your eyes.

“You want me to walk you two blocks?” Angela scoffed.

“Not if it’s any trouble,” Dean replied.

“I’m headed that way anyway,” she said before looking over at Jake. “I’ll be back to pick up Lucas at three.” She leaned down and hugged Lucas from behind. “We’ll go to the park, okay, sweetie?” After kissing the side of his head, she stood and went to the front door.

“Thanks again,” Sam nodded at Jake before following you and Dean out of the building and after Angela.  

“So, cute kid,” Dean said as soon as you made your way down the street.

“Thanks,” Angela smiled, crossing the street.

“Kids are the best, huh?” You and Sam started laughing softly and Dean shot a look at you both, a silent “shut up.”

“There it is.” Angela gestured to the motel across the street. “Like I said, two blocks.”

“Thanks,” you said, ready to head in. She nodded then looked at Dean, sighing.

“Must be hard with your sense of direction. Never being able to find your way to a decent pick-up line.” You turned around to try and hold back a laugh while Angela crossed the street again. “Enjoy your stay,” she called over her shoulder. You contained yourself and looked to Dean.

“I like her,” you smiled.

“‘Kids are the best?’ You don’t even like kids.” Sam criticized.

“I love kids,” Dean shot back.

“Name three children that you even know,” Sam challenged. Dean went silent; you could practically see the gears in his head trying to form an answer. Sam shook his head and walked into the motel, you at his heels.

“I’m thinking!” Dean called out, following the two of you in.

~ ~ ~ ~

SPN rewrite taglist: @mrsfortune1306 @marvelous-glims @i-didnt-do-it-i-promise

forever taglist: @griff1ndor @gothsatanicrapunzel @choosemyname @mersuperwholocked-lowlife @not-astounding @sassy-specter @vicmc624 

[xtruss]

Idaho is Going to Kill 90% of the State’s Wolves. That’s a Tragedy – and Bad Policy

Fed by myths, fairytales and Disney, America’s demonization of wolves has been going on for centuries, and continues full throttle

Kim Heacox | Guardian USA | May 12, 2021

Nothing embodies wildness like wolves, our four-legged shadow, the dogs that long ago refused our campfire and today prefer freedom and risk over the soft sofa and short leash. The dogs that howl more than bark, add music to the land, and – if left alone to work their magic – make entire ecosystems healthy and whole.

“Idaho Bill Seeks To Kill More Than 1,000 Wolves.”

Witness Yellowstone, a national park reborn in the 1990s when wolves, absent for 70 years, were reintroduced. Everything changed for the better. Elk stopped standing around like feedlot cattle. They learned to run like the wind again. Streamside willows and other riparian vegetation, previously trampled by the elk, returned as well, and with it, a chorus of birds. All because of wolves.

Yet in the state of Idaho, new legislation signed days ago by Governor Brad Little will allow professional hunters and trappers to use helicopters, snowmobiles, ATVs, night vision equipment, snares and other means to kill roughly 90% of the state’s wolves, knocking them down from an estimated 1,500 to 150. A group of retired state, federal and tribal wildlife managers wrote to Little asking him to veto the wolf kill bill, saying statewide livestock losses to wolves have been under 1% for cattle and 3% for sheep. The group further noted that the overall elk population has actually increased since wolves were reintroduced into Idaho more than two decades ago. It made no difference.

Why exterminate the wolves? To make the country safe for cattle and sheep; more productive for deer, elk, caribou and moose. To better fill hunters’ freezers with winter meat. To sell the pelts.

But there’s something more. Something nobody talks about.

“The wolf exerts a powerful influence on the human imagination,” wrote the nature writer Barry Lopez in Of Wolves and Men. “It takes your stare and turns it back on you.”

Maybe the wolf, freer than you or I will ever be, reminds us too much of our own self-domestication. That in a rush to create a stable environment, we’ve put ourselves in stables, and that paradox haunts people who see wolves as something to be feared, hated, destroyed.

America’s demonization and slaughter of wolves has been going on for centuries – fed by myths, fairytales, Disney films and more – and continues today, full throttle from Wisconsin to Idaho to Alaska. This is our true forever war – the war on Nature, specifically on wildness and its sinister poster child. The wolf could be out there right now, sneaking under the barbed wire, stalking our profits.

In November 2020, the Trump administration, as part of its rollback of environmental regulations, ordered the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Western ranchers and farmers were pleased; wildlife advocates called the decision “willful ignorance”. EcoWatch reported that the de-listing occurred “despite the enduring precarity of wolf populations throughout much of the country. According to the most recent USFWS data, there are only 108 wolves in Washington state, 158 in Oregon, and 15 in California, while wolves are ‘functionally extinct’ in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.”

“Wisconsin’s brutal wolf hunt in late February generated outrage – and for good reason,” Jodi Habush Sinykin, an environmental attorney, and Donald Waller, an ecologist and conservation biologist, wrote in the Washington Post. “Throngs of unlicensed hunters joined those with licenses with packs of dogs, snowmobiles and GPS technology. The wolves stood no chance. This unprecedented hunt took place during the breeding season, killing pregnant females and disrupting family packs at a time critical to pup survival. A full accounting of the hunt’s biological toll is impossible, as the state declined to inspect carcasses.”

Who are we, as a species? Are we global gardeners, or might we be good guardians as well?

As for Alaska: if you want to see a wolf this summer, skip Denali national park, where the Toklat pack – Alaska’s most famous wolf pack, studied since the late 1930s – has been decimated by hunters and trappers who bait the animals just outside park boundaries. The legendary wildlife biologist Adolph Murie, who studied the Toklat pack for three years and teased apart more than 1,700 scat samples, came to a stunning conclusion: wolves that prey on caribou and Dall sheep primarily take the old or infirm. In effect, they create strong prey populations. Wolves are nature’s chisel and lathe.

“Who Are We, As A Species? Are We Global Gardeners, or Might We Be Good Guardians As Well?”

And wolf attacks on humans are so rare as to be statistically non-existent.

Over the past half-century, wildlife around the world has dropped 68%. The human race, together with our livestock, now accounts for more than 95% of all mammal biomass on Earth. Everything else – from whales to wolves to lions, tigers and bears – adds up to only 4.2%. And that percentage continues to fall.

Knowing that, who are we, as a species? Are we global gardeners who manage everything – plant and animal – as crops on a sustained yield basis, where wildlife is game and wolves are pests? Or might we be good guardians as well, caretakers who regard others beyond ourselves as capable of love; of celebrating their young and mourning their dead?

While writing Of Wolves and Men in the late 1970s, Barry Lopez raised two hybrid red wolves, Prairie and River, an experience that he said gave him “a fundamental joy”. He concluded: “I learned from River that I was a human being and that he was a wolf and that we were different. I valued him as a creature, but he did not have to be what I imagined he was. It is with this freedom from dogma, I think, that the meaning of the words ‘the celebration of life’ becomes clear.”

— Kim Heacox is the author of many books, including The Only Kayak, a memoir, and Jimmy Bluefeather, a novel, both winners of the National Outdoor Book Award. He lives in Alaska

[babygirlkiki1016]

Caught

The Lynnwood Inn, which was our next stop. However after the Wendigo situation, Deans been treating me differently, he's been flirting with me. There's something up with him, I thought, was it because of the night in motel? Or the kiss after the Wendigo mission. I look over at him to notice there is a mostly empty plate in front of Dean, who is circling obituaries in a newspaper. An attractive waitress, whose nametag says Wendy, approaches.

"Can I get you anything else?" She asks mostly focusing on Dean. Dean looks up, sees the waitress then goes back to the news paper as Sam comes over and sits down.

"Just the check, please." Sam orders.

"Okay." And Wendy walks away.

"You know Dean I'm surprised you weren't flirting with the waitress." I say, Dean points to Wendy walking away, who's wearing short shorts.

"Well you see her, she's not my type."

"Dude every girl is your type." Sam laughs.

"Not every girl, I highly doubt-" I point to myself "-girls like me are his type."

"If you believe that then your wrong darling." He winks at me. "And the two of you are talking like I'm not here." Sam looks at me, then at Dean who hands him the newspaper.

"Here, take a look at this, I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water, nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

"A funeral?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever."

"How is that closure? If the coffins empty then the body is still out there. Doesn't sound like closure at all."

"You have a point there Y/n, also your hair is green." Sam points out, I groan and pull up my hoodie to hide my hair while Sam takes more notes. "Back to the topic. People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them."

"Something you want to say to me?" Dean growled.

"The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day."

"Sam's right Dean, it seems like whereever we go he was never there-" Dean silences me with his the wave of his hand.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Something. Anything." Sam huffs.

"You know what? I'm sick of this attitude. You don't think I wanna find Dad as much as you do?"

"Yeah, I know you do, it's just-"

"I'm the one that's been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?" Sam rolls his eyes, making Dean walk out of the Inn, shaking his head in disappointment. We left the Inn a few hours later, and the three of us made our way to our next case. Sam was in the back sleeping, while me and Dean were in the front.

"....So...." Dean suddenly says, desperately trying to strike up a conversation. "Are we gonna talk about it?"

"....Talk about what?"

"The kiss."

"....What kiss?"

"The one you gave me a few days ago, after we saved Haley and her brothers. I know you wanted to kiss me but you decided against it." My heart started pounding, what was there to talk about? I had a bad feeling of how this was gonna go.

"Dean-"

"Y/n I....I want to ok? Your....You make me feel...." He glances over at me, then travels down to my hand that's resting in my thigh. He slowly grabs it, and squeezes like I'll disappear.

"I make you feel what?...." I say getting his attention again.

".....I don't know, but when I'm around you I have this sick like feeling-a good sick like feeling. I've never felt this way before...but sadly we can't your still a kid and if we were to, ya know."

"I understand."

"I will promise you this, when you turn eighteen, I'm gonna give you a kiss you'll never forget. And one after that, and one after that, and one after that." He smiles but doesn't let go of my hand, and neither do I. We sat there for hours, just enjoying each other's company, hoping that this moment would never end.

~

When we got to Wisconsin, we make our way up to the house that belong to the Carlton's. Dean knocks on the door and a man opens it.

"Will Carlton?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, that's right."

"I'm Agent Ford, this is Agent Hamill and Samson. We're with the US Wildlife Service." Dean holds up an ID, Will leads us around the house and I notice that a man is sitting on a bench on the dock.

"She was about a hundred yards out." Will says. "That's where she got dragged down."

"And you're sure she didn't just drown?" Dean asks.

"Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as she was in her own bathtub.

"So no splashing? No signs of distress?" I questioned.

"No, that's what I'm telling you."

"So she was just pulled down but never came back up? Like kind of a shark attack?"

"Yea..."

"Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?" Sam wondered.

"No. Again, she was really far out there."

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean says.

"No, never. Why? Why, what do you think's out there?"

"We'll let you know as soon as we do." As Dean heads back to the car Sam catches up to me.

"So, you and my brother huh?" He smirks.

"We're not together."

"Yet, that's right I heard your conversation." My cheeks begin to burn, and my hair turns purple.

"So you were pretend sleeping?" You could hear the fear in my voice.

"No I tried to sleep, I just happened to overhear how Dean is gonna give you a kiss you'll never forget, and one after that, and one after that-"

"Shut up!" I push him lightly with my cheeks burning, he laughs as I walk even faster. We get back in the car, the next stop was the police station. It was silent, but I could feel Sam looking between me and Dean from the back seat.

"Can I help you Sam?" Dean demanded.

"Nope." Sam said with a smile, he was thinking about me and Dean.

"You keep looking at me then at Y/n."

"He heard our conversation Dean." I confess, Dean smirks and looks back at his brother.

"Sam you sly dog!"

"What, it's not my fault you two are loud talkers."

"Oh that's bullshit! You didn't sleep cause you wanted to know if something was gonna happen!" I laugh.

"Well something did...cause when it's your birthday-"

"Shut up Sam!" Me and Dean yelled in chorus.

~

The station was small, but somewhat cozy. I looked around as Dean introduced us as the Wildlife Service.

"Now, I'm sorry, but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?" Jake Devin's, the sheriff asked.

"You sure it's accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister." Sam replies and we follow the sheriff into his office.

"Like what?" Jake motions to chairs in front of his desk. "Here, sit, please. There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake." Sam sits down while Dean offers the other seat to me. I smile at the gesture and kiss his cheek before I sat down. "There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster."

"Yeah." Dean chuckles and Sam glances over at him.

"Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks." Jake sits down and continues. "We dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird, though, I mean, that's, that's the third missing body this year." I state. "There had to be something there, Sophie Carlton was a varsity swimmer. There's no way she drowned...."

"I know. These are people from my town. These are people I care about." The sheriff admits, he seemed sad, but yet had a somewhat guilty look on his face. "Anyway..." Jake sighs. "All this...it won't be a problem much longer."

"What do you mean?" Sam leaned forward, obviously interested.

"Well, the dam, of course."

"Of course, the dam. It's, uh, it sprung a leak." Dean says, trying to make the conversation less awkward.

"It's falling apart, and the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that."

"Exactly, sorry it's been a long week." I apologize as a young woman, taps on the door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" She asks, me and Sam stand up knowing that it's time to probably leave. "I can come back later."

"Gentlemen, this is my daughter." The Sherrif says and I hold out my hand to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Y/n." We shake hands.

"Andrea Barr, Hi." She greets.

"They're from the Wildlife Service. About the lake." Andrea's father explains.

"Oh." Then a boy, walks in around Andrea. "Oh, hey there. What's your name?" I ask, with a smile but he walks away without speaking and Andrea follows, we do the same.

"His name is Lucas." She says and gives him some crayons out of a box.

"Is he okay?" Sam worried.

"My grandson's been through a lot, we all have." Jake stands and goes to the office door. "Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

"Thanks. You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?" Dean asks.

"Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner. It's about two blocks south." Andrea comments. "I'm headed that way anyway. So I'll walk you there."

"I think we can find it just fine." I say, Sam looks at me and smirks, he knew. I was jealous, she nods with a frown on her face and turns to Jake. "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at three." She turns to Lucas. "We'll go to the park, okay, sweetie?" Andrea kisses him on the head.

"Thanks again." Sam smiles and we walk out the door, Andrea walks outside with us.

"So, cute kid." Dean comments.

"Thanks." She says, then points south. "Like I said, two blocks, that way."

"Thanks." Sam says and she smiles at Dean. "Must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find you a good pick up line." And with that she leaves while calling back over her shoulder. "Enjoy your stay!" Sam slaps Deans shoulder "'Kids are the best'? You don't even like kids."

"I love kids." Dean looks at Sam like he's offended.

"Name three children that you even know."

"Y/n?" He wraps an arm around me, with a smile on his face thinking he won this argument.

"She's older than Lucas, she's not a little kid anymore."

"She acts like a kid."

"Seriously?! I'm right here!" I rant, Dean rubs my head but I push his hand away playfully.

"See? Your pouting, and your short to." He chuckles. "Anyways let's get to that motel, we have work to do."

~

As soon as we got our room I grabbed some clothes and instantly claimed the bathroom. Sam went to get some food for us so it was just me and Dean. It had been a while since I felt hot water run down my back, and damn did it feel good. Sadly I had to get out and go back to reality, when I exited the bathroom Dean was watching Dr. Sexy. I put my stuff down and settled next to Dean.

"So Dr. Sexy?" I asked, I could hear him hum in response. "Well that doctor is pretty hot."

"The girl or guy?"

"Both are good looking."

"Hm." I look over at him, he was staring at me.

"What?"

"Nothing...." He turns off the TV and sits on the edge of the bed, tiredly rubbing his face. I moved to his side, worried.

"Dean are you ok?" I put my hand on his, caressing it gently. He looks back at me, those eyes we're filled with...lust. He didn't take his eyes off of me. I scooted closer to him, making him blush at how close we were but he stayed focused on me.

"You know what?" He mutters.

"Hm?" I wondered, as he slowly got closer to me. "Screw it." Not even five seconds later he grabbed my waist and pulled me against him, smashing his lips against mine. I instantly kissed back, my hands traveling through his hair as he pulled me onto his lap. His rough lips went together with mine like a puzzle, he was kissing me with passion. This was it...our moment, the moment I had been waiting for. I tugged at his shirt, which he immediately took off, then his lips merged with mine once more. I could feel him smile, was he happy? Didn't he want to wait since I was to young? Who cares, who the hell cares right now, I focused my thoughts back on Dean who flipped us over. Now he was on top of me, kissing down my neck, making me moan.

"Dean?" Sam called out, making us both stop and slowly look over at him. He was holding our chinese food with a surprised look upon his features.

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