NPS Centennial Coins

Here's an update to yesterday's article. I just found out that Ken Salazar is asking Congress to pass legislation authorizing the U.S. Mint to issue coins commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. Salazar wrote in a letter to Peloski on his draft of the bill for commemorative coins. Here are some excerpts.

“Commemorative coins would bring national and international visibility to the history and the mission of the Service as a whole as well as its many parks and programs during the bureau’s centennial year." [Bison slaughter is part of their "mission."]

In Salazar's draft of this bill he states that the National Park Service's core mission is,

"to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." ["unimpaired" well it's a little too late for that:P]

Regarding the 100th anniversary of NPS Salazar says it will,

"mark the beginning of the organization's second century of service to the American people as environmental leaders and vigilant stewards of the nation's treasured places and stories." [WOW!]

There will be a surcharge on each coin.

"The proceeds from a surcharge on the sale of commemorative coins will assist the financing of the needs of the National Park Service's parks and programs, helping to ensure that our nation's great natural and cultural resources will endure for generations to come." [More $$$ for bison slaughter]

Polar Bear Habitat Up for Drilling

The U.S. government never ceases to amaze me with the idiocy and greed. This time about polar bear critical habitat. The DOI has proposed over 200,000 acres in the arctic as "critical habitat" for the bears and has also approved giving most of this land to Shell for drilling. "Critical habitat" for the oil industry.
National Wildlife Federation has written a report criticizing this move.

The polar bears are in such dire circumstances with habitat loss as it is they are now turning to cannibalism!!!

Please send your comments to Salazar and tell him to stop his double standards and work for the polar bears and the people in this country instead of oil companies.
https://online.nwf.org/site/Advocacy?&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1087&autologin=true&s_src=polarbear

Here's a page from USFWS with all info. regarding the habitat designation.

U.S. Wolf History & Present Day

In Europe wolves were almost extinct by the time settlers arrived on this continent. At this time there were an estimated 250,000 wolves in the now lower 48 states alone. The settlers brought the same mindset as they had in Europe, wolves are evil. Manifest destiny led the way and the rest is history and present.

Just 10 years after the Mayflower landed the Massachusetts Bay Colony began offering rewards for killing wolves. The wolf was the enemy just like all Native peoples and wildlife. The wolf was made into a scape goat for the uncontrolled, power hungry settlers. (sounds like today) The settlers over-hunted deer. So, they blamed the wolf for low deer populations. (just like today)

In the 19th century the good ol' ranchers came to the west for cheap, abundant land they could destroy with their invasive cows (again with the cattle) Things didn't go so well. This non-native species (the cows. not ranchers. too bad it wasn't both.) began dying of diseases. Again the wolf was falsely blamed. Now for killing livestock. It wasn't long before livestock began replacing the wildlife wolves eat; buffalo and deer. So, fearing wolves would kill the livestock a campaign went out to exterminate the wolf. Professionals working for the livestock industry (no not FWP this time) would use various methods to kill wolves including laying strychnine-poisoned meat in up to 150 mile lines!! When wolves began to be hard to find, they were searched out and killed in various ways: set on fire, shot, poisoned, clubbed, trapped, and inoculated with mange! Good ol' Montana takes credit for killing over 80,000 wolves in 25 years.

In the 1970's less than 1,000 wolves remained in the lower 48. Today there are only 50 Mexican wolves, 100 Red wolves in the wild and between 7,000-11,000 gray wolves in Alaska as well as more than 5,000 in the lower 48 (no where near 250,000) with about 15,000 of these in the Greater Yellowstone Area

Now once again history repeats itself with a rancher, the Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar removing the gray wolves from the endangered species list. So, the killing of wolves continues for the same reason as the past--power hungry, immature, people.

Contact Obama and tell him to put the gray wolf back on the endangered species list.

More wolf history

Good and Bad Week for Wildlife

Last week was up & down for wildlife.

First the good news. The EU has BANNED ALL seal products :)) They've always been ahead of the US.
For more details about the ban go to:

http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/seal_trade_ban.html

More good news. This time for forests. U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is considering the "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act" (NREPA), HR 980, to protect 24 MILLION acres of the N. Rockies!!

Show your support by signing this petition

Some not so good news is that the gray wolf has been delisted (yet again) but this time permanent. Idaho and MT are planning a hunt in the fall :(( In WY they're not delisted b/c WY was going to have a 'shoot on site' policy. Here's an article on what Salazar had to say http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/Release09-15.html