Court Stops Slaughter of Wolves

NEW YORK (RUSHPRNEWS) JULY 24, 2008--It's the best possible news. Seven weeks after we went to court, a federal judge has ordered the Bush Administration to restore endangered species protections for wolves in the northern Rockies until the full case can be heard. This interim victory is nothing less than a life-saving reprieve for hundreds of wolves outside Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Since the Bush Administration stripped the region's wolves of federal protection, a total of 110 wolves have been brutally killed in as many days.

But Judge Donald Molloy ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "acted arbitrarily" in taking the wolf off the endangered species list and turning their management over to the states.

That means Wyoming, Montana and Idaho will be forced to abandon plans to allow the extermination of hundreds of wolves this fall as part of a massive public hunt -- the first in more than three decades.

Simply put, the wolves of Yellowstone and the northern Rockies are much, much safer today than they were just last week.

This incredible, eleventh-hour victory never would have happened without your strong support. Your donations and online activism have fueled this campaign since day one.

Thanks to your backing, a tenacious coalition -- composed of NRDC, EarthJustice and 11 other conservation groups -- has worked tirelessly to save these magnificent creatures in one of America's best-loved places.

Make no mistake: the fight for Yellowstone's wolves is far from over. Judge Molloy's injunction is temporary. We must now wage the courtroom battle for a final ruling in favor of wolves.

You can help us win that fight by making an online donation now. Your contribution will also help support our grassroots operation, which is collecting thousands of Save the Wolf Petitions from tourists in Yellowstone National Park this summer.

With your support, we are going to win both in the court of law and in the court of public opinion -- for the sake of wolf survival. Thank you for making this latest victory possible!

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council