Touted as one of the greatest wildlife comeback stories in history, the recovery of Yellowstone grizzly bears reached a milestone this week. In a much anticipated, though highly controversial, move, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service announced its intent to remove long standing federal protections for the bruins that make their home primarily in and around […]
Tag: endangered species act
POLL: Should the Louisiana black bear be kept on the endangered species list?
The Louisiana black bear, the animal credited with spawning the phrase “teddy bear”, is to be removed from the federal list of endangered wildlife following a two-decade conservation effort. The US Department of the Interior said the “conservation success” of the bear meant it no longer required the protection of the endangered species act, which […]
POLL: Should grizzly bears face end of endangered species protection?
The federal government is proposing to strip endangered species protections from Yellowstone’s famed grizzly bears, with officials claiming a “historic success” in the recovery of the bear population. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said it planned to delist one of the last remaining grizzly populations from the Endangered Species Act, which has protected […]
POLL: Should US zoos be allowed to import wild elephants from Africa?
Under intense criticism from animal welfare groups and others—and now facing a lawsuit—the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently approved a permit allowing three U.S. zoos to import 18 wild elephants from Swaziland. The elephants—3 males and 15 females ranging from 6 to 25 years old—will go to the Dallas Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, […]
POLL: Should fake rhino horn be banned?
Trade in bioengineered rhino horn shouldn’t be allowed. That’s the contention behind a petition filed today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the Center for Biological Diversity, a U.S.-based group that uses science and law to protect the environment, and WildAid, a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate illegal wildlife trade. At issue […]
POLL: Should the greater sage-grouse be kept on the “endangered species list”?
The greater sage-grouse, a bird best known for its flamboyant mating ritual, has become embroiled in a tussle over states’ rights, with Utah suing the federal government over its protection of the threatened species. Utah’s lawsuit claims that a federal plan to protect the sage-grouse has “overthrown” the state’s own work to safeguard the species […]
POLL: Should the wolf be delisted in more American states?
The U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday approved an amendment to a bill that orders wolves to be removed from federal Endangered Species Act protections in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Wyoming. The amendment, which also would prohibit courts from intervening on wolf status in those states, was added to the the so-called […]
POLL: Should the US FWS be sued for failing to protect the Monarch butterfly?
Over the past two decades, populations of America’s iconic orange and black monarch butterflies have declined by more than 80 percent. Now, two environmental groups — the The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety — have filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to […]