My letter to the honorable Honorable James E. LaFave, Administrative Law Judge who is making the decision on whether to allow the DNR to delist Bald Eagles and Gray Wolves from the status of special concern to no concern. Take a look:
Dear Judge LaFave,
I attended the DNR Hearing on 2/7 in Plymouth that you presided over regarding the listing of species that the DNR has proposed changes to. I am opposed to the declassification of Bald Eagles and the Gray Wolf from Special Concern to No Concern.
In the last half of the last century, the population of Bald Eagles was decimated. Suffering and dying from the effects of the hazardous pesticide DDT, they were incapable of reproducing. Since DDT the Eagles have made a comeback. I can't put into words how thrilled I am to be gifted with the site of a Bald Eagle flying overhead or perched high up in a tree. However, Bald Eagles and other raptors are not out of the woods yet. Hunters who shoot deer and other animals with lead bullets frequently leave the dead animal behind. Eagles feed on these dead animals and then die painful deaths from lead poisoning. It only takes a miniscule amount in their system to kill them.
Wind farms are another threat to Eagles and all birds; the silos are huge and the blades wide, birds of all kinds including Eagles are killed each year by these giant machines. I have heard from several sources that a wind farm is proposed in the Red Wing area. This area on the Mississippi River is a proverbial mecca of Eagles in the winter months. The eagles enjoy the abundance of food in the river during the coldest time of year. If a wind farm is built, many eagles would die needlessly. If they are delisted, I am pretty sure that this wind farm would become reality. This cannot happen.
Please give this serious thought; Bald Eagles symbolize America. Their population is increasing but fragile; mankind is once again the enemy, and it would be unthinkable to take them off the special concern listing. They are beautiful, graceful, and no doubt are in peril, they need the protection that the special concern listing offers.
The Gray Wolf is an amazing and beautiful animal that is one of the most misunderstood animals of all. Mankind has feared wolves for no reason, and they have been inhumanely hunted and trapped for centuries. Finally, they were put on the protection list in the last century and time, money and effort was spent to bring their numbers back to a sustainable population in Minnesota.
Wolves have an amazing social network; the packs are in essence a family. When a member of this family is killed or dies, the family members all morn the loss of their loved one, as their pack tries to move on without the one who has passed away. When the DNR decided to give the big agribusiness a wolf kill and allowed hunters to needlessly kill these majestic animals for sport (horrific and unconscionable) the hunters, killers as I call them, most likely went for the largest, most beautiful animals, usually the leaders of the pack. I’m sure this has created mass chaos in the packs, and it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that the youngest members, who are now without the guidance of their parents, will begin to go after farmer and rancher’s livestock for food. Sadly, even more will be killed needlessly.
I believe the DNR in Minnesota to be hugely corrupt, and the wolves have paid the supreme price. When they announced the wolf hunt last year they explained there were too many wolves in Minnesota. Yet, at the hearing when asked what the number of animals was prior to the hunt, the DNR official? He couldn’t even give us a number. The last population estimate was five years ago, I believe the number was somewhere around 3000 animals. There were over 500 killed needlessly, and with the average mortality rate, poaching, and animals killed by farmers and ranchers, there could be 1,000 less animals now. This is appalling and totally unacceptable. Wolves need our protection, and I agree with those who have called for a moratorium on any future hunts, and would like to see an independent group come in and have a look at our wolves; perform a population count and an analysis of the packs.
What I am asking of you is to deny the motion of the DNR to delist this beautiful animal, keep them on the SC and perhaps move them to the threatened category, as these magnificent animals are now in jeopardy.
In closing, I am asking you to please ensure the safety and continued health and well-being of Bald Eagles and Wolves, and deny the DNR’s request to take the off the list of special concern.
Thank you for your time on this.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Ayres
No comments:
Post a Comment