More Great Letters to the Editor in Southwest Papers!
Writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper is an excellent way to raise awareness about the Mexican gray wolf situation and the management of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Surveys of newspaper readers show that the letters page is among the most closely read parts of the paper. It’s also the page policy-makers look to as a barometer of public opinion.
Several excellent letters written by lobo supporters have been published in the past few weeks!
In the Santa Fe New Mexican
December 21, 2010
Gray wolf loss not just local issue
Federal law enforcement is investigating the killing of yet another Mexican gray wolf in Southwestern New Mexico. In 2010, there have been six wolf deaths, all by suspicious circumstances. This latest incident is especially troublesome since it follows the recent announcement by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to release a Mexican gray wolf next as part of its plan to recover this highly endangered species in the wild. Killing a wolf is a violation of the Endangered Species Act!
I want to see wolves restored to their historic range, and I also want to see atonement for this human-designed tragedy. The myth of the bloodthirsty wolf stands larger than its reality, and in the battle between our fears and our hopes, the wolves bear the greatest burden.
DIANE BENTIVEGNA
New Hyde Park, N.Y.
In the Albuquerque Journal
December 23, 2010
Mexican Wolves Need Protection
I AM WRITING to express my deep concern and sorrow over the death of yet another Mexican wolf, whose body was found on Dec. 2 in Catron County. Five have died this year under suspicious circumstances.
There are fewer than 50 of these animals left in the wild, and efforts to reintroduce them have been hampered by the inability of our federal, state and local officials charged with protecting them to do so effectively.
I urge Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, the regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Tod Stevenson, the director of the New Mexico Game and Fish Department, to step up efforts to protect our Mexican wolves by apprehending those who do them harm, by retrieving all tracking devices from all but working scientists and by working for more vigorous and consequential prosecutions. I also urge Senators Jeff Bingham and Tom Udall to let Ken Salazar, the secretary of the Interior, know how important Mexican wolves are to the balance of nature, to the peoples and to the landscapes of the American Southwest, and that we need a new, science-based recovery plan for them immediately.
I have worked as a volunteer for their recovery, and I know from speaking with people from all over our country that wolves are loved for their very natures and intrinsic value but also are increasingly appreciated for their vital role in the balance of nature. The Mexican wolf, the most endangered wolf in the world, is wonderfully adapted to the conditions of the American Southwest.
I end with a request for all who love animals and wild landscapes to speak out on their behalf while we still have time.
TONI PROTHERO
Taos, New Mexico
Many thanks and congratulations to these talented and dedicated letter writers-your letters make a big difference in the effort to protect and recover our lobos!
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